Bollywood comedian Rajpal Yadav surrendered at Tihar Jail on February 5, in a 16 year old check bounce case. The case involved an unpaid Rs 5 CR loan that ballooned to nearly Rs 9 CR with interest and penalties.
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Background of this financial nightmare
It all started back in 2010 when Rajpal borrowed Rs 5 Crore from a Hyderabad based company M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to fund his directional debut in Ata Pta Lapata, which flopped at the box office.
Unable to repay, he issued seven cheques that bounced. This triggered convictions under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act and the magistrate court sentenced him and his wife to six months jail in 2018. This was upheld by a sessions court in 2019. The Delhi High Court granted repeated extensions for installment payments (e.g., Rs 1.35 crore per case), including partial deposits like Rs 75 lakh in October 2025, but noted over 20 violations of undertakings.
Jail surrender and immediate fallout
On February 2, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma ordered surrender by February 4, rejecting further pleas as “deplorable” conduct with no special treatment for celebrities. Rajpal arrived at Tihar around 4 PM on February 5 after a failed ‘mercy plea’ for more time to arrange funds. He faces a six-month term, with the Rs 9 crore debt still outstanding despite partial deposits totaling around Rs 2.5 crore via court.
Solidarity of the Bollywood industry
Sonu Sood announced that he has signed Rajpal Yadav for his next film and will extend the signing amount to help the actor during this difficult phase. He posted on X, “Rajpal Yadav is a gifted actor… He will be part of my film.” Sood also urged producers, directors, and industry colleagues to unite and offer more work opportunities so Rajpal doesn’t feel alone.
Gurmeet Choudhary, best known for portraying Ram, stepped forward with financial assistance and publicly appealed through X to producers, directors, and the film industry to provide jobs and monetary help. He expressed heartbreak over Rajpal’s situation, calling for collective industry support amid the Rs 9 crore debt crisis.
Music producer Inderjeet Rao, owner of GemTunes Music, also offered Rs 1.11 crore, sharing bank details publicly to encourage more help. JJD chief Tej Pratap Yadav announced Rs 11 lakh aid for Rajpal’s family, prompted by a social media post from Rao Inderjeet Yadav.
Film critic Kamaal R Khan (KRK) committed Rs 10 lakh personally and rallied Bollywood for a Rs 5 crore fund to secure early release through debt clearance.
It is reported that Salman Khan reached out directly through Rajpal’s manager, Goldie, to provide monetary aid as part of industry efforts to help repay the outstanding debt. No exact amount was disclosed publicly, but it aligns with similar pledges from peers aiming for debt clearance and potential early release.
Thiskind gesture also joins support from Ajay Devgn, Varun Dhawan, and David Dhawan, who also contacted Goldie for financial help, highlighting Bollywood’s collective response.
