DUBAI: Rajpal Yadav, a Bollywood celebrity, has received a harsh reprimand from the Supreme Court on Monday after he disregarded an agreement to deposit funds in a protracted cheque-bounce case.
During a heated hearing on Yadav’s unpaid debts to the private company M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd, Justice Joymalya Baghchi warned the actor’s attorney, “Your place is in jail.
The Indian Express reported that the sharp exchange occurred after Yadav disregarded the Supreme Court’s September 15 decision, which required him to deposit Rs 2 crore with the court registry and gave him two weeks to submit a concrete proposal to settle the unpaid amount.
When Yadav’s attorney attempted to claim that the complainant firm was not impoverished, the bench, which was made up of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi, and V. Mohana, became very irate.
Justice Bagchi reacted, saying, “They may be richer than you, but they are poor to the extent you have swindled them.”
The jury continued, remarking, “This arrogance needs to be put in its right place. You should know when to open your mouth. Your place is in jail.”
The Supreme Court has now ordered Yadav to make the payment by Tuesday, and the case will be the first one heard on Wednesday.
The bench stated that it may reject Yadav’s appeal, but it was reluctant to do so since it might make it more difficult for the complainant to get its money back.
Yadav’s attorney presented a demand draft for Rs 50 lakh during the hearing and informed the court that the bank was processing it. The bench was not greatly reassured by the move.
The court noted, “Is this genuine or not? We don’t know.”
The actor was also charged by senior attorney Ajit Sinha, who represented M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd, with consistently disobeying court orders.
Sinha remarked, “He is a film actor. He is acting here also. He has no respect for the majesty of the institution.”
It is pertinent to note that a 2010 financial disagreement is at the center of the case.
According to M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd, Yadav was given Rs 5 crore in funding for a movie project that year.
The company claims that Yadav, his wife, and their business were obligated to repay almost Rs 11 crore, including interest, under a 2012 agreement.
In 2013, seven checks totaling Rs 1.05 crore each were submitted to pay the outstanding balance; however, the checks were not honored, which led to the legal dispute.
In recent weeks, the Supreme Court has heard the matter multiple times.
In response to Yadav’s request, the court issued a notice on September 8 and granted him an exemption from surrender, provided he deposited Rs 5 crore with the registrar.
The Supreme Court ordered the actor to deposit Rs 2 crore and offered him one more chance to devise a payment plan when the case was heard again on September 15. Hew was not required to surrender until October 5.
Yadav’s attorney had informed the court at the time that the money would prove his bona fides.
The court took a noticeably stronger position during Monday’s hearing, giving the actor till Tuesday to make the payment before the issue returns to the bench on Wednesday because the promised money has still not been deposited.
