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Rajpal Yadav is facing another setback in his long-running cheque dishonour case as the Supreme Court pulled up the actor on Monday, October 5, for failing
to deposit Rs 5 crore despite repeated directions. The court was hearing his plea against his conviction in seven cheque bounce cases linked to a financial dispute with Murli Projects Pvt Ltd. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed strong displeasure over Rajpal's non-compliance and questioned his conduct before the court.
Supreme Court Warns Rajpal Yadav
The Supreme Court on Monday noted that Rajpal Yadav had still not deposited the Rs 5 crore amount that was made a condition for his interim protection. The bench comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana was hearing his challenge against the conviction and three-month jail sentence awarded in the cheque dishonour cases.
The court expressed serious concern over Rajpal's failure to follow its earlier direction. Justice Joymalya Bagchi questioned the actor's conduct and indicated that the court could have considered dismissing his plea. The bench said it was concerned about the way the matter was being handled, particularly when the proceedings were also aimed at securing money for the complainant.
Rajpal's lawyer then requested more time from the court. Taking the request into consideration, the Supreme Court gave the actor a final opportunity to make the required deposit. The deadline has now been extended till Tuesday, October 6.
The development comes weeks after the Supreme Court had already given Rajpal time to arrange the money. In September, his legal team had told the court that he was trying to raise the amount and that certain properties could be sold for this purpose. His counsel had also sought some breathing space to prepare a concrete repayment proposal.
All About Cheque Bounce Case
The legal dispute dates back to a financial arrangement connected with Rajpal Yadav's 2012 directorial film Ata Pata Laapata. According to the complainant, Murli Projects Pvt Ltd had provided financial assistance of around Rs 5 crore to him for the project. The dispute later turned into multiple cheque dishonour cases after the repayment arrangements were not honoured.
The complainant alleged that seven cheques worth Rs 1.05 crore each were issued in 2013 as part of a settlement. The cheques were subsequently dishonoured. A later agreement allegedly involved Rajpal, his wife Radha Rajpal Yadav and their company agreeing to repay around Rs 11 crore, including interest. The matter remained in litigation for years.
