New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed actor Rajpal Yadav to deposit Rs 2 crore towards the amount claimed by the complainant in a cheque-bounce case. The bench said it would take up Yadav’s challenge to the High Court order after the payment is made.
Yadav appeared before the court in person and submitted a demand draft of Rs 1.15 crore. The remaining Rs 85 lakh is expected to be paid by October 13 through a prospective buyer of the actor’s property, who was also present during the proceedings.
The court, however, expressed strong displeasure over the manner in which the matter had progressed. It cautioned that continued delays could have consequences for Yadav’s sentence, noting that repeated opportunities had been granted primarily to ensure that the complainant received the money.
The bench also observed that the legal process should not be used in such a manner and said Yadav’s conduct had not yet given the court sufficient assurance regarding payment.
Court refers to actor’s film during hearing
Following the formal proceedings, the interaction between the bench and Yadav took a lighter turn when the actor spoke about the financial difficulties he had faced after producing his film Ata Pata Laapata.
Yadav told the court that the film had caused losses of approximately Rs 200-250 crore and that its producers had also suffered financially.
The film’s title became the subject of a light-hearted remark from the Chief Justice of India, who joked that the whereabouts of Yadav’s money appeared to be similar to the film’s name.
Yadav responded respectfully before explaining the extent of the losses he had incurred. The CJI then advised the actor to focus on making successful films and entertaining audiences. In a lighter exchange, the bench also joked that several lawyers appearing before the Supreme Court were good actors and could potentially feature in his future films.
Remaining payment linked to property sale
Yadav’s lawyer informed the court that the actor had attempted to make the payment through the Registry but was told that an RTGS transfer could not be accepted for the purpose. He subsequently arranged the Rs 1.15 crore demand draft.
Regarding the outstanding Rs 85 lakh, the lawyer said a person interested in purchasing Yadav’s property was present in court and would provide the balance amount once the transaction was completed.
Yadav also told the bench that the dispute was connected to a liability of Rs 5 crore arising from Ata Pata Laapata, while reiterating that the film had ultimately resulted in substantially larger financial losses.
What is the case about?
The dispute dates back to 2010, when Murli Projects Pvt Ltd allegedly extended a loan to Yadav in connection with the production of Ata Pata Laapata. Seven cheques issued towards repayment, each for Rs 1.05 crore, were subsequently dishonoured.
The matter eventually led to criminal proceedings over the alleged cheque-bounce, with the actor challenging the orders passed against him. The Supreme Court has now made the Rs 2 crore deposit a condition before it considers his plea against the High Court’s order.
