The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to vacate its interim order suspending the sentence of actor Rajpal Yadav in a cheque bounce case, observing that there was no reason to send him back to jail at this stage. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma made the remark while refusing to pass any directions on an application filed by the complainant seeking cancellation of the relief granted to Yadav. The Court had earlier, on February 16, suspended his sentence, allowing him to walk out of jail after being in custody since February 5.

During the hearing, the complainant’s counsel informed the Court that an application seeking vacation of the suspension of sentence was pending. Responding to this, Justice Sharma said,  “I do not find any reason. He is not running away. He is still here. He is not running away. Kahin nahi jaa rahe (He is not going anywhere).”

Yadav appeared before the Court in person and made submissions. The complainant’s counsel also argued that the actor was attempting to turn the matter into a media trial, stating, “Either he (Yadav) should argue, or his counsel.”

Addressing the concern, the judge remarked, “Media trial ka kya hai wo to har ek cheez ka hota rehta hai. Mujhe koi fark nahi padta. Main media dekhti hi nhi hu…Media me kya hota hai meri kaan, aankhein sab band hoti hai. Mere liye he is an ordinary litigant, you are an ordinary litigant.”

The Court further clarified that Yadav was not being heard because of his celebrity status.
“Just because he is an actor main inko nahi sun rahi hu. Main to koi bhi litigant aate hain unko bhi sunti hu. Aap inko importance de rahe ho. Aur ek baat aur hai ki us litigant ne nahi bola ki main so and so hu.”

The Bench stated that it would next hear the matter on April 1 and would attempt to decide the case finally. It also indicated that if Yadav intends to settle the dispute and repay the amount owed, he should present a concrete proposal.

The case dates back to May 2024, when a sessions court convicted Yadav and sentenced him to six months in jail in connection with a cheque bounce matter. The High Court later suspended his sentence after his counsel assured that he was willing to settle the dues with the production company involved.

However, the actor failed to fulfil the payment commitments. On February 2, the High Court rejected his explanation that the delay was due to an inadvertent error in the demand draft, noting that no steps were taken to correct it. Earlier, Yadav had sought permission to clear Rs 2.5 crores in two instalments, Rs 40 lakhs by December 16, 2025, and the remaining Rs 2.1 crores by January 15, 2026, but the payments were not made as assured.

Following this, the Court directed him to surrender within two days. His subsequent plea seeking more time was also rejected, leading to his surrender on February 5.

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