NEW DELHI, Sept 15: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted actor Rajpal Yadav a final opportunity of two weeks to come up with a concrete proposal for clearing his outstanding dues to a private firm and directed him to deposit Rs 2 crore with the apex court registry.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also extended Yadav's exemption from surrendering until October 5, when the matter will be heard again.
The complainant, M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd, has alleged that Yadav had received financial assistance of Rs 5 crore for a film in 2010. According to the firm, Yadav tendered seven cheques of Rs 1.05 crore each in 2013 towards settlement of the dues, but the cheques were dishonoured.
The firm further alleged that under a 2012 agreement, Yadav, his wife Radha Rajpal Yadav and their company had agreed to repay around Rs 11 crore, including interest.
Appearing for Yadav, senior advocate P S Patwalia sought two weeks to submit a concrete payment proposal and said the actor would deposit Rs 2 crore to demonstrate his bona fides.
Patwalia told the court that Yadav had already spent four-and-a-half months in prison and that his friends from the entertainment industry would have to help him arrange the money.
Senior advocate Ajit Sinha, appearing for Murali Projects Pvt Ltd, said the complainant was primarily concerned with recovering the money, alleging that Yadav had repeatedly failed to honour his commitments.
The bench expressed displeasure over Yadav's conduct and noted that earlier directions of the court had not been complied with.
"He is perfect at doing drama but this court," the bench observed, while adding that his conduct did not inspire confidence but he would nevertheless be granted a final opportunity.
On September 8, the Supreme Court had issued notice on Yadav's plea and said that, subject to a deposit of Rs 5 crore with its registry, he would be exempted from surrendering.
On July 10, the Delhi High Court upheld Yadav's conviction in multiple cheque-bounce cases and sentenced him to three months' imprisonment. It also refused to condone an "extraordinary" delay of 1,894 days in filing petitions challenging the conviction.
The High Court directed Yadav to pay more than Rs 1 crore to the complainant in each of the seven cases, while clarifying that around Rs 2 crore already deposited by the actor would be adjusted.
The sentence was kept in abeyance for two months to enable Yadav to approach the appellate court.
In its 108-page verdict, the High Court observed that Yadav had repeatedly failed to honour undertakings to make payments to Murali Projects Pvt Ltd. It said that despite efforts to facilitate an amicable settlement, the actor had refused to make any further payment.
The court also rejected Yadav's plea for release on probation and found no infirmity in the lower court's order.
It directed that out of the fine imposed in each case, Rs 1.04 crore be paid to the complainant and Rs 25,000 to the state. Yadav's wife was also directed to pay around Rs 5.5 lakh as fine to the complainant in each case, failing which she would undergo simple imprisonment for three months.
The High Court's verdict followed revision petitions filed by Yadav and his wife challenging a 2019 sessions court order that had upheld their conviction by a magisterial court in April 2018.
The magisterial court had initially sentenced Yadav to six months' imprisonment, which was later reduced to three months.
