NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday sent Bollywood actor-comedian Rajpal Yadav to jail for three months for failing to repay a loan of `5 crore taken by his company to make a movie. Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw ordered that Yadav should be taken into custody and kept in the Tihar Jail.
The order came on a plea filed by Delhi-based company Murli Projects against Yadav’s company Shree Naurang Godavari Entertainment for failing to repay `5 crore which the actor took in 2010 to make his Hindi debut directional film ‘Ata Pata Laapata’.At the time of the agreement on August 8, 2012, Yadav agreed to pay `11.10 crore, including the principal amount and the interest. Meanwhile, a dispute arose between the two parties and the matter went to the high court where Yadav gave an undertaking to repay `7 crore.
However, all the seven cheques issued by the accused thereafter were dishonoured due to “insufficient funds”.The actor, however, refuted all the charges in the court stating that he had not taken any loan from the complainant and rather the sum of money was invested by the complainant in his film. He also defended that the cheques were given as a security and hence the money was a mere investment and not
a loan.
Yadav had spent four days in jail from December 3, 2013, till December 6, 2013, after which a division bench of the High Court had suspended the sentence on his appeal. Rajpal Yadav is known for his comedic roles in Bollywood films such as ‘Hungama’, ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ and ‘Bhoothnath’. ‘Dhol’, ‘Chup Chup Ke’, and ‘Garam Masala’.
Netizens expressed dismay on getting the news of the actor, who is known for his effortless acting. “Sad to see a man who’s literally made me cry, by making me laugh like hell, going behind bars for 3 months, for not being in the situation to repay a loan of 5cr which he’d taken for his dream project, while a star killing 7 under wheels & a black buck roams free! (sic)” a Twitter user posted on the microblogging site.