No bail, still in jail: Court slams Rajpal Yadav over Rs 9 crore cheque bounce case; is he bankrupt?

Ace actor and comedian Rajpal Yadav, who has entertained an entire generation with his comic timing, is currently in Tihar Jail for a cheque bounce case of Rs 9 crore. The case is a decade-old, and the ace comedian is behind bars for non-repayment of around Rs 9 crore, which he took as a loan for his film and failed to repay despite repeated attempts from the court.

The actor was sent to jail last week, and on Thursday, the Delhi High Court heard Rajpal Yadav's bail plea.

The Delhi High Court criticised the conduct of Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav in the cheque-bounce case, stating that he went to prison because he refused to honour his own commitment to repay the dues on time.

"You did not go to jail because the court passed an order. You have gone to jail because you have failed to comply with your own commitments," Justice Sharma said.

Rajpal Yadav's counsel argued that he was misguided during the proceedings and had expressed his willingness to settle the matter. But the claim was rejected by the judge, who pointed to the prolonged delay in making payments.

"You appeared 20 to 30 times in this court and were assisted by a senior counsel who made the statements on your behalf. Mr Yadav appeared through VC (video conference) before me at least five times and said I will honour the statement made by my counsel. You are not misguided," the bench said.

The judge further stated, "You have been sentenced since you pleaded guilty and admitted that you will pay. Now that you have been sentenced, are you asking for suspension of the sentence? You said you would explore settlement, went to mediation and said you would pay. For years, you didn't make the payment. Now you want to reopen the case."

Justice Sharma said the court may have sympathy for Rajpal Yadav, but this could not override the laid-out legal framework.

The conviction arose from a criminal complaint filed by the private firm, Messrs Murli Projects Private Limited, which alleged that Yadav took a Rs 5 crore loan in 2010 for the production of the film Ata Pata Lapata, with a commitment to repay Rs 8 crore. However, he allegedly failed to honour this commitment.

The firm further claimed that although the repayment was scheduled on three separate occasions, and a settlement was later reached for a reduced amount of Rs 7 crore, the seven cheques issued in connection with the settlement bounced.

The court adjourned the bail plea for further hearing on Monday after issuing notice to the complainant.

Fratenity comes out in support 

Actor Sonu Sood was the first from Bollywood to lend him support, as he signed him for his next film and gave him an undisclosed amount as a signing bonus, urging others from the industry to do the same.

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) also urged all its members to support Rajpal Yadav, as several Bollywood stars, including Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn, reached out to his family.

Most of the industry celebs have come out in support of Rajpal and are helping him financially.

Self-proclaimed critic Kamaal R Khan has also reacted to the controversy, triggering strong reactions online and raising new questions about the financial side of the case.

"According to one of his friends, he has property worth Rs 50 crore. Means Rajpal Yadav himself doesn't want to pay the loan. His elder brother is also saying the same thing," he added.

In another post, KRK wrote that the Bhool Bhulaiyaa actor's property in Uttar Pradesh was sealed in 2024, as he couldn't pay a loan of Rs 11 crore.

Earlier, KRK showed his commitment and vowed to give him financial help worth Rs 10 lakh and informed the actor's wife to collect the cheque from his office.

Rajpal Yadav's net worth and earnings from his last five projects?

Many on social media have pointed to the fees he reportedly earned from his last five projects, which are said to total between Rs 7 and 8 crore.

According to India.com, Rajpal Yadav was paid just 4% of what Varun Dhawan reportedly earned for Baby John. Rajpal is said to have received Rs 1 crore for his role in the 2024 film. He was reportedly paid Rs 1 crore each for Kathal, Dream Girl, and Baby John. For Chandu Champion, he is believed to have earned Rs 2 crore, while for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, his fee was reportedly between Rs 2 and 3 crore.

Amid this discussion, a clip of actor Mushtaq Khan resurfaced online, where he spoke about the disparity in pay between stars and supporting actors.

Recalling an incident when he was allegedly kidnapped, Mushtaq said, "The kidnappers told me, 'You have worked with big stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn, and you say you have no money? Your recent film Gadar earned Rs 500 crore, you must have received at least Rs 5 crore.' How do I explain to them that this is not how it works? We are only paid the fee that is decided at the start of the film. They don't distribute the total earnings among everyone. They wouldn't trust me."

Is Rajpal Yadav bankrupt?

A Reddit user wrote, "I just don't buy that this guy has no money. This case has been going on for 16 years. He agreed to pay in instalments, then missed payments nearly 20 times or submitted incorrect information on demand drafts. He's a major comedy star who has done numerous films since 2010. If he does international stage shows, television appearances like The Kapil Sharma Show, and regular film work, it's hard to believe he wouldn't be able to arrange Rs 9 crore. Nine crore is a large amount, but even a small role in a big film can easily pay Rs 25 to 50 lakh. How has he not cleared the dues?"

While several reports claim that Rajpal was unable to pay the loan, Rajpal Yadav, in his interviews, mentioned that the money was not a loan but an investment made by a businessman who hoped to eventually launch his grandson as an actor in the industry.

Speaking to Lallantop, Rajpal said, "Three allegations have been levelled against me. One claims that I committed fraud of Rs 5 crore. The second says that I took a loan. Third, I committed fraud. But according to me, it was a security cheque that I invested in, because I have never paid any interest on that money. The case is still pending in court, and I am grateful to the court for understanding my point of view."

He further clarified, "I received Rs 5 crore from Madhav Gopal Agarwal to make a film. I did not take it as a loan; he invested the money as a financer because he wanted to launch his grandson as the lead actor."

Addressing the controversy in another conversation with Ashok Pandit, Rajpal said, "People tried to malign my name, but they forgot that I am a phoenix who started with nothing. They can finish me, and I will rise again from the ashes."

Work Front

Rajpal will be seen in Welcome to the Jungle, releasing on June 26, 2026, and Bhooth Bangla, scheduled for April 10.