New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) The Delhi High Court is slated to pronounce its verdict on Friday in a batch of petitions filed by Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav and others challenging their conviction and sentence in multiple cheque bounce cases.
As per the causelist published on the website of the Delhi High Court, a single-judge Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma will pronounce the judgment on July 10 in a batch of criminal miscellaneous petitions and criminal revision petitions arising out of proceedings under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
The actor has been granted interim suspension of sentence by the Delhi High Court, which has continued to remain in operation during the pendency of the proceedings.
The petitions have been filed by Rajpal Yadav and another against M/s Murli Projects Pvt. Ltd. and another, challenging the orders passed by the trial court in multiple cheque dishonour cases.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had extended the interim suspension of sentence granted to Rajpal Yadav after observing that the actor had already made substantial payments to the complainant company.
During the hearing, counsel appearing for Yadav had informed the Delhi High Court that around Rs 4.25 crore had already been paid to M/s Murli Projects Pvt. Ltd., including a demand draft of Rs 25 lakh handed over before the court. Observing that the actor had already made substantial payments, Justice Sharma had orally remarked that the court was not inclined to send him back to jail at that stage.
The Delhi High Court had also declined to vacate its earlier order suspending Yadav’s sentence despite an application filed by the complainant seeking cancellation of the interim relief.
“He is not running away. He is still here… If the money has to come to you, it will come,” the Delhi High Court had observed, while clarifying that the actor must either honour the settlement or contest the case on merits.
Earlier, in February, the Delhi High Court had directed Rajpal Yadav to surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent after taking a stern view of his repeated failure to honour settlement commitments despite being granted several opportunities.
Justice Sharma had then observed that despite “considerable leniency”, the actor had repeatedly breached undertakings given to the court and failed to comply with payment timelines fixed from time to time.
Subsequently, the actor was granted interim suspension of sentence after depositing part of the settlement amount, paving the way for his release from jail while the High Court continued hearing the main petitions. Rajpal Yadav was convicted and sentenced in 2024 in multiple cheque dishonour cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
–IANS
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