Actor Rajpal Yadav on Thursday surrendered before the Tihar Jail authorities here after the Delhi High Court refused to extend the deadline in connection with his conviction in cheque-bounce cases. The high court on Wednesday refused to extend the deadline given to Yadav for surrendering to the jail authorities, as he had not complied with earlier directions.
Rajpal Yadav surrenders at Tihar Jail
A source told PTI, “He surrendered before the jail authorities at 4 pm on Thursday. Now the jail authorities will follow the standard operating procedure.”
The counsel for Yadav, who was on February 2 directed to surrender by 4 pm on Wednesday, had told the court that the actor had arranged a sum of Rs 50 lakh and sought one more week to make the payment. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, however, rejected Yadav’s application seeking an extension of time to surrender, saying there was no ground to grant him relief.
Yadav’s senior counsel said that he could not comply with the direction to surrender on February 4 at 4 pm as he was trying to arrange the money and reached Delhi at 5 pm. “This court cannot be expected to show or create special circumstances for any person merely because such a person belongs to a particular background or industry. Leniency, though sometimes necessary, cannot be extended endlessly, especially when it is met with continued non-compliance,” the court said.
Yadav physically appeared before the court for the proceedings. His senior lawyer said he was ready to pay a demand draft of Rs 25 lakh to the complainant and also adhere to a payment schedule.
About cheque-bounce case
The court proceedings came on revision petitions by Yadav and his wife, challenging a 2019 decision of a sessions court which upheld their conviction by a magisterial court in the cheque-bounce cases in April 2018. In June 2024, the high court had temporarily suspended his conviction, subject to him adopting “sincere and genuine measures” to explore the possibility of reaching an amicable settlement with the opposite party.
At that time, Yadav’s counsel had said it was a genuine transaction to finance the production of a movie, which bombed at the box office, resulting in huge financial losses. In the order passed on February 2, while directing him to surrender by 4 pm on February 4, the high court observed that Yadav had repeatedly breached his undertakings.
(With inputs from PTI)
