New Delhi, February 16 – The Delhi High Court on Monday granted a temporary suspension of Rajpal Yadav's sentence, a Bollywood actor, in connection with multiple cheque bounce cases.
This allowed his release from jail until March 18, after a single-judge bench led by Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma was informed that a sum of ₹1.5 crore had been deposited in the complainant company's bank account.
Taking note of the payment made by Yadav, the Delhi High Court suspended his sentence on the condition that he provide a personal bond of ₹1 lakh along with one surety of the same amount. It also ordered him to surrender his passport.
Justice Sharma further stated, "The sentence is suspended until the next hearing. You must be present in court or appear via video conferencing. We do not want any discrepancies."
The case is now scheduled for further hearing on March 18, and Yadav will remain out of custody until then.
This relief comes after the Delhi High Court had taken a stern view of Yadav's conduct. In an order passed on February 2, Justice Sharma had directed Yadav to surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent by 4 p.m. on February 4, noting his repeated failure to honour settlement commitments despite being granted several opportunities.
The Delhi HC had said that "considerable leniency" had already been shown, and there was no justification to continue the indulgence granted to the actor. It had also noted that no payment was made for nearly a year despite specific timelines and assurances given from time to time.
Yadav subsequently surrendered before the jail authorities in compliance with the court's direction.
Yadav was convicted and sentenced in 2024 in cheque bounce cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
His sentence had earlier been suspended after he expressed willingness to amicably settle the dispute with the complainant company, and the matter was even referred to mediation.
