The Delhi High Court on Friday upheld the conviction of actor Rajpal Yadav and dismissed his petitions challenging his conviction and sentence in multiple cheque bounce cases arising out of a financial dispute with Murli Projects Pvt. Ltd.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma pronounced the judgment, affirming the orders of the trial court and the appellate court, which had convicted Yadav under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.

The litigation stems from a loan advanced to Rajpal Yadav’s production company for a film project that failed commercially. Cheques issued towards repayment were dishonoured, leading to multiple complaints under the Negotiable Instruments Act. In May 2024, a sessions court upheld the conviction and sentenced Yadav to six months’ simple imprisonment, following which he approached the High Court in revision.

During the pendency of the proceedings, the High Court had granted interim suspension of his sentence to facilitate settlement efforts. However, after recording repeated defaults in complying with settlement commitments, the Court revoked the suspension earlier this year and directed him to surrender before jail authorities. Although he subsequently made substantial payments towards the outstanding dues and obtained interim relief, the Court ultimately proceeded to decide the revisions on merits.