The Delhi High Court on Friday, 10 July upheld Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav's conviction in multiple cheque dishonour cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act, while reducing his sentence from six months to three months' simple imprisonment and lowering the fine, after crediting the amount already deposited by him to the complainant. The ruling came in a batch of criminal miscellaneous and revision petitions heard by a single-judge Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.

What the Court Decided

Justice Sharma dismissed Yadav's challenge to his conviction, holding that his revision petitions were barred by limitation — specifically, an extraordinary delay of 1,894 days for which no sufficient cause was demonstrated. The court also rejected his plea seeking quashing of the complaint cases, ruling that such petitions amounted to an indirect challenge to convictions that had already attained finality after trial and appellate proceedings.

The court, however, modified the sentence by crediting ₹2.25 crore already deposited by the actor and released in favour of the complainant, M/s Murli Projects Pvt Ltd. The fine in each of the seven complaint cases was reduced from ₹1.60 crore to ₹1.05 crore, of which ₹1,04,75,000 will be paid to the complainant and ₹25,000 credited to the State. All substantive sentences were directed to run concurrently.

Co-Convict's Sentence Also Reduced

The judgment also reduced the fine imposed on co-convict Radha Rajpal Yadav to ₹5,51,380 in each complaint case. The court did not interfere with the conviction of either petitioner.

Court's Sharp Observations

Justice Sharma was unsparing in her remarks, noting that despite repeated opportunities and indulgence extended by the court to facilitate an amicable settlement, Yadav failed to honour undertakings given before it. The court recorded that at the conclusion of the hearing, Yadav had stated he was 'not willing to pay any amount to the complainant and would rather go to jail five times than returning the money.'

In its judgment, the court stated: 'Law is not a script that can be rewritten at the will of an actor, nor can legal positions be altered with every change of strategy whosoever the litigant may be. Courts adjudicate on the basis of settled legal principles and the record before them.'

The court also declined his request for release on probation, citing this stated unwillingness to comply with settlement commitments.

Background and What Comes Next

Yadav was convicted and sentenced in 2024 in multiple cheque dishonour cases. Earlier this year, the Delhi High Court had directed him to surrender before the Jail Superintendent after taking a stern view of his repeated failure to honour settlement commitments. He was subsequently granted an interim suspension of sentence after depositing part of the settlement amount.

The court has now suspended the modified sentence for two months from the date of judgment to enable the petitioners to avail of such legal remedies as may be available to them. Upon expiry of that period, both petitioners are required to undergo the sentence in accordance with law. Whether Yadav approaches a higher court within this window will be closely watched.