Bollywood comedian and actor Rajpal Yadav has been sent to Tihar Jail after being convicted in a long-running financial dispute linked to a cheque bounce case, shocking fans and members of the film industry.

The case dates back to 2010, when Yadav borrowed nearly Rs50 million from Murli Projects Private Limited to produce his debut film as director, Ata Pata Laapata. The film failed at the box office, triggering serious financial difficulties for the actor.

Due to delays in repayment, accumulated interest, and penalties, the outstanding amount later rose to nearly Rs90 million.

Yadav issued several cheques to clear the loan, but they were dishonoured, leading to criminal proceedings under the Negotiable Instruments Act.

In April 2018, a magistrate court convicted Yadav and his wife, Radha, and sentenced them to six months in prison. The verdict was upheld by a sessions court in 2019, after which the case reached the Delhi High Court.

The high court granted Yadav multiple opportunities to repay the amount in instalments. While he made partial payments, the court noted that he repeatedly failed to honour the agreed schedule.

In June 2024, the court temporarily suspended his sentence, conditional on serious efforts to resolve the dispute. However, the court later ruled that his attempts had been ineffective.

On February 2, 2026, the Delhi High Court ordered Yadav to surrender before jail authorities by February 4, citing repeated violations of court directions.

When Yadav failed to appear on time and sought an extension through his lawyer, the request was rejected.

On February 5, 2026, he appeared before the court and offered a Rs2.5 million bank draft, but the court declined to revise its earlier order. He later surrendered at Tihar Jail and began serving his sentence.

In an earlier interview, Yadav had expressed his helplessness, saying, “Myre paas raqam nahi hai, main kya karoon? Mujhe koi raasta nazar nahi aata.”
(“I have no money. What can I do? I see no way out.”)

He also said that people in the film industry were preoccupied with their own problems and that support was difficult to find.

Following his imprisonment, several film personalities came forward to support him. After actor Sonu Sood announced financial assistance, music producer Rao Inderjeet Singh, owner of Geet Tones, offered Rs11 million to help settle the case.

Indian media quoted Singh as saying, “Rajpal ji ne shaiqeen mein be-shumar khushiyan baanti hain aur Bharati cinema ka lazmi hissa hain. Yeh support sirf raqam ke liye nahi, balkay ek insaan ke saath kharay honay ke liye hai. Hamari industry ek khandaan ki tarah hai, aur khandaan mushkil waqt mein ek dosray ke saath khara hota hai.”

(Rajpal has shared countless joys with his fans and is an integral part of Indian cinema. This support is not just about money, but about standing by a fellow human being. Our industry is like a family, and a family stands together in times of hardship.)

He also urged others on Instagram to come forward and support the actor.