On Monday (23rd April 2018) a Delhi Court sentenced Bollywood actor-comedian Rajpal Yadav to six months imprisonment in seven cheque bounce cases filed by Messrs Murli Projects Pvt. Ltd. for failing to repay a loan of Rs. 5 crores extended by the company to Mr. Yadav for making a film titled ‘Ata Pata Lapata’ in 2010.

Earlier, on April 24 the Court held the actor, his wife Radha Rajpal Yadav and their film production company Messrs Naurang Godavari Limited guilty in the case. However, the Court did not award imprisonment to his wife saying, “She is a woman and keeping in view her medical condition, no sentence of imprisonment is awarded to Ms. Yadav.”

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM)Amit Arora granted Rajpal bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and one surety of like amount. Delhi court also imposed separate fines on the convicted couple, asking Rajpal to pay Rs 11.2 crore and his wife Radha to pay Rs 70 lakh collectively in all the seven cases in which they have been held guilty.

Delhi Court said “Record reflects that convicts made several undertakings... claiming that the amount will be repaid, however, to no avail. It shows that the approach of convict number 2 (Rajpal Yadav) is highly contemptuous”.

Mr. Yadav had assured to pay 8 crore to the lender, said the complainant. As per the last agreement, the actor promised the company that he would pay ₹11.10 crore, principal amount and the interest accrued on it.

The offence of cheque bounce is given under section 138of the Negotiable Instruments Act (NI Act) 1881, according to which a person could be punished with imprisonment for a term which may be extended to two years, or with fine which may extend to twice the amount of the cheque, or with both.