Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi Gets Extension to Deposit Balance Amount in Cheque Bounce Cases; Allowed to Travel Abroad [Read Order]

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court, on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, granted significant relief to filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi by extending the deadline for depositing the balance amount as part of the conditions for the suspension of his sentence in a series of cheque bounce cases. Simultaneously, the Court temporarily suspended a condition restricting him from leaving India, allowing him to travel abroad for promotional events related to his upcoming film, Lahore 1947.

The matter was heard by Justice P. M. Raval, who passed orders on multiple Criminal Miscellaneous Applications seeking modification or deletion of conditions in connection with the Criminal Revision Applications.

In the first set of applications (Criminal Misc. Application No. 2 of 2025 in all corresponding Criminal Revision Applications), Mr. Santoshi sought an extension of eight weeks to deposit the remaining amount of ₹35 lakhs out of the total ₹41,50,000/- he was initially directed to deposit by December 31, 2025. The original condition for suspension of sentence, passed on October 30, 2025, by a coordinate Bench, required him to deposit ₹41,50,000/- on or before November 30, 2025, and the balance amount of ₹41,50,000/- on or before December 31, 2025.

Learned advocate Mr. Vyas, appearing for the original complainant, vehemently opposed the application, stating that “the undertaking given by the applicant himself has not been followed in its true spirit.” However, the Court took a lenient view, observing:

“Having heard the learned advocates for the respective parties and considering the averments made in the applications, as well as the fact that a substantial amount has already been paid by the applicant and that, in all the group matters, a total amount of ₹35 lakh only remains to be deposited before the Registry of this Court, the interest of justice would be served if time is extended up to 31.01.2026.”

The Bench made it clear that “no further extension shall be granted under any circumstances for depositing the balance amount as stated by the applicant in his undertaking, which has been extended by this Court by the present order.”

In the second set of applications (Criminal Misc. Application No. 1 of 2025 in all corresponding Criminal Revision Applications), the filmmaker sought suspension of the condition restraining him from leaving India without prior permission of the Court. Learned advocate Mr. Raju submitted that “the applicant is required to travel abroad for promotional events of the upcoming movie ‘Lahore 1947’.” After perusing the travel tickets, which indicated that the applicant would be departing on December 30, 2025, and returning on January 4, 2026, at midnight, the Court granted the permission.

The order stated:

“Under the circumstances, when a substantial amount of the cheques in question has been deposited, it would be in the interest of justice that the aforesaid condition is suspended for the time being, and the applicant be allowed to leave India from 30.12.2025 and shall return to India on or before 05.01.2026 at 00:00 hours.”

Case Details:

Case Numbers: R/Criminal Revision Application Nos. 2003 of 2025 to 2012 of 2025 and R/Criminal Revision Application No. 2026 of 2025 (with corresponding Criminal Miscellaneous Applications)

Court: High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad

Coram: Honourable Mr. Justice P. M. Raval

Date of Order: 30.12.2025

Petitioner (Applicant): Rajkumar Santoshi

Respondents: State of Gujarat & Anr.

Advocates for the Petitioner: Ms. Jhanvi R. Pandya, Mr. Nimit Y. Shukla, and Mr. Bhadrish Raju

Advocate for Respondent No. 2 (Original Complainant): Mr. Ruchit J. Vyas

Advocate for Respondent No. 1 (State of Gujarat): Mr. Utkarsh Sharma, APP

[Read Order]