‘Perfect in doing drama’: SC gives Rajpal Yadav final chance to deposit Rs2 crore

Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav has been given a final two-week opportunity by the Supreme Court to deposit at least Rs2 crore with the Supreme Court Registry in connection with an ongoing financial dispute with a private complainant.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said Yadav’s past conduct in the matter had given the court little confidence. However, the court granted him two more weeks after his lawyer assured the bench that he would deposit at least Rs2 crore within the stipulated period and provide surety for the remaining amount.

During the hearing, CJI Surya Kant questioned whether Yadav could be trusted to honour the commitment, referring to his previous conduct in the case.

“Looking at his past conduct, how can anybody trust him? He’s perfect in doing drama and acting in Bollywood; he’s doing the same thing in court also,” the Chief Justice said.

The court also extended the protection granted to Yadav from arrest until the next hearing, scheduled for October 5. However, it directed the actor to surrender his passport.

The dispute dates back to 2010, when Yadav took a loan of around Rs5 crore from a Delhi-based company to finance his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata. The comedy film failed to perform well at the box office and reportedly did not generate enough revenue to cover its costs.

Yadav subsequently faced difficulties in repaying the loan. The outstanding amount continued to rise over the years due to interest and other charges, and reportedly reached nearly Rs 9 crore.

The dispute eventually led to a cheque-bounce case against the actor.

The current proceedings relate to the amount claimed by the private complainant, the owner of Murali Productions.