The Delhi High Court is set to pronounce its verdict today in Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav’s Rs9 crore debt case. Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma reserved judgment on 2 April after repeated attempts to settle the matter outside court failed.
According to NDTV, the High Court made several efforts to help both sides reach a settlement. However, negotiations ultimately broke down despite sustained judicial intervention.
During the final hearing, Yadav made an emotional appeal while opposing the proposed settlement. The court expressed concern over his changing position on repayment, observing, “I am not getting my answers. The undertaking said something else and now you are saying something else.”
Appearing for the complainant company, advocate Avneet Singh Sikka argued that Yadav had already accepted his conviction and could no longer avoid liability. He said the revision petition filed in 2024 was delayed by 1,894 days without sufficient justification. Sikka also argued that completing the sentence did not erase the financial liability arising from the dishonoured cheques. He added that despite repeated assurances, the dues remained unpaid, forcing the complainant to pursue proceedings under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.
Following the court’s suggestion, the complainant agreed to accept Rs 6 crore as a full and final settlement. However, Yadav, who appeared virtually during the hearing, rejected the proposal. He told the court he had already suffered significant financial losses, sold property and made substantial payments. The court also proposed a structured payment of Rs 3 crore within a fixed timeline, clarifying that it was only a judicial suggestion and not a final settlement. Even then, the parties failed to reach an agreement.
The High Court also cautioned those involved over the conduct of the proceedings, remarking, “Never think the judge weak if the judge is nice to you,” while noting that valuable judicial time was being consumed.
Yadav’s current lawyer, Bhaskar Upadhyay, argued that the present defence should not suffer because of mistakes allegedly made by the actor’s previous counsel.
The case stems from the financial fallout of Yadav’s 2012 directorial debut Ata Pata Laapata. The unpaid dues later grew to around Rs 9 crore in the cheque bounce case. According to Upadhyay, the actor paid Rs 2.5 crore in February.
On 2 February, the High Court directed Yadav to pay Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him and ordered the amount already deposited with the Registrar General to be released to the complainant.
In an order passed in October 2025, the High Court noted that two demand drafts worth Rs 75 lakh had been deposited with the Registrar General, while Rs9 crore remained payable.
According to Yadav’s manager, several Bollywood actors, including Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn and Sonu Sood, have extended financial assistance to him.
