Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 15: The Supreme Court has referred actor Rajpal Yadav’s long-running cheque bounce dispute involving around Rs 9 crore to mediation, seeking an amicable settlement between the parties.

During the hearing, Yadav’s counsel informed the court that the remaining Rs 85 lakh had been deposited with the court registry on October 13. The court also directed the trial court to release the actor’s passport after his counsel said he needed to travel to Canada for an upcoming event to earn money and ease his financial burden.

Chief Justice of India asked why the parties could not sit together and resolve the dispute mutually.

The case relates to seven cheque bounce complaints filed by Murli Projects Private Limited. The Delhi High Court had earlier upheld Yadav’s conviction and sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment in each case.

The dispute reportedly arose from financial assistance of Rs 5 crore that Yadav allegedly received from the company in 2010 for a film. According to the complainant, the actor subsequently issued seven cheques of Rs 1.05 crore each towards repayment, but the cheques were dishonoured.

The complainant further alleged that an agreement signed in 2012 by Yadav, his wife Radha and their company provided for repayment of around Rs 11 crore, including interest.

Speaking to NDTV after the latest development, Yadav expressed gratitude to the Supreme Court for giving him an opportunity to present his side. He said he would comply with the court’s directions and expressed faith in the judicial process.

The actor also thanked his friend Anand Prakash Yadav for supporting the family in arranging the deposit against land.

The dispute has been pending for several years. On September 15, the Supreme Court had extended Yadav’s exemption from surrendering until October 5 and given him another opportunity to propose a payment plan. The bench had expressed concern over the non-compliance with earlier orders.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued notice on Yadav’s plea and said he could be exempted from surrendering subject to a deposit of Rs 5 crore with its registry.

On July 10, the Delhi High Court upheld the actor’s conviction in the cheque bounce cases after refusing to condone a delay of 1,894 days in filing petitions challenging the conviction. It also directed him to pay more than Rs 1 crore to the complainant in each of the seven cases.

The High Court said around Rs 2 crore already paid by the actor would be adjusted against the dues and kept his sentence in abeyance for two months to allow him to approach the appellate court.

The verdict followed revision petitions filed by Yadav and his wife against a 2019 sessions court order upholding their conviction by a magistrate in April 2018. The magistrate had initially sentenced the actor to six months’ imprisonment, which was later reduced to three months.