New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to recall its direction to actor Rajpal Yadav to surrender before jail authorities in connection with his conviction in cheque bounce cases, saying it cannot be expected to “create special circumstances” on account of his background or industry.
While recording her “strong disapproval”, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma directed Yadav to surrender immediately and observed that his failure to surrender on February 4 despite court orders reflected scant respect for law.
Yadav’s senior counsel made a “mercy plea” to the court to recall its earlier order to enable him to arrange money to repay the complainant M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd.
The counsel said that Yadav 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.
Law rewards its compliance and not its contempt, the court remarked, as it opined that recalling its earlier direction would send a message that its orders could be disregarded repeatedly without any consequences.
“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,” said the court.
“In these circumstances, this Court finds no merit in the plea of the counsel for the petitioner to recall its order directing surrender of the petitioner before the Jail Superintendent, Tihar. He is directed to surrender the Jail Superintendent, Tihar, immediately today,” it ordered.
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.
The court’s 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 here 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.
The magisterial court had sentenced him to undergo six months’ imprisonment.
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 had observed that Yadav’s conduct deserved to be deprecated as he repeatedly breached his undertakings to the court to repay the amount to the complainant M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd.
The court had noted that Yadav was required to make payment of Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him and directed that the amount already deposited with the Registrar General of the high court be released in favour of the complainant.
In October 2025, two demand drafts of Rs 75 lakh were deposited with the Registrar General and an amount of Rs 9 crore remained payable, it noted in the order.
On February 4, the court had refused to extend the deadline given to Yadav to surrender before jail authorities. PTI ADS KVK KVK
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