The Delhi High Court has ordered Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav to surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent by 4 p.m. on February 4, 2026, in connection with multiple cheque bounce cases. The court expressed strong disapproval of his repeated failure to honour settlement terms despite earlier leniency.
Rajpal Yadav and his wife had filed petitions before the Delhi High Court challenging their conviction and sentence under the Negotiable Instruments Act, in cases involving dishonoured cheques issued to a complainant company.
The sentence awarded by the trial court was suspended by the High Court as early as June 28, 2024, after the actor expressed willingness to amicably settle the dispute. The matter was also referred to mediation at that stage.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who heard the matter, criticised the conduct of the actor for breaching repeated assurances given to the court:
“This Court is of the view that the conduct of the petitioner no. 1 (Rajpal Yadav) deserves to be deprecated. Despite repeatedly giving assurances and seeking indulgence of this Court, he has failed to comply with the orders passed from time to time.”
The court noted that despite considerable leniency extended over a prolonged period, no payment was made towards the settlement. Specific timelines fixed by the court were also not honoured.
“This Court finds no justification to continue the indulgence granted to the petitioner no.1 earlier,” Justice Sharma said.
The judge further highlighted that the actor had “repeatedly breached undertakings given before this Court”.
While directing the release of the amount already deposited with the Registrar General to the complainant, the court gave limited concession to Yadav, who submitted that he was currently engaged in professional work in Mumbai. He was allowed time till February 4, 2026, to surrender.
“However, in the interest of justice, the petitioner no.1 is directed to surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent by 04.02.2026 at 4:00 PM, to serve the sentence awarded to him by the learned Trial Court,” the order stated.
The matter is next listed on February 5, 2026, to confirm compliance from the jail authorities.
