Kamal Ghorui
Bollywood actor Rajpal Naurang Yadav on Thursday surrendered before the Tihar Jail authorities after the Delhi High Court refused to extend the deadline granted to him in connection with his conviction in multiple cheque dishonour cases.“He surrendered before the jail authorities at 4 pm on Thursday. Now the jail authorities will follow the standard operating procedure,” a jail source was quoted as saying by PTI.
Court refuses to extend surrender deadline
The Delhi High Court had, on Wednesday, declined Yadav’s plea seeking more time to surrender. His counsel informed the court that the actor had arranged Rs 50 lakh and requested a week’s extension to deposit the amount.However, Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma rejected the application, stating that there was no ground to grant further relief. Yadav had earlier been directed to surrender by 4 pm on February 4, 2026.
Final attempt to avoid imprisonment rejected
On Thursday, the High Court rejected Yadav’s final attempt to avoid imprisonment and made it clear that no further hearing would be granted unless the actor first surrendered before the jail authorities. The court noted that the direction followed repeated violations of undertakings given by Yadav regarding payment of settlement amounts to the complainant company.Senior counsel appearing for the actor submitted that Yadav was willing to deposit Rs 25 lakh immediately and that both parties had tentatively agreed on a repayment schedule for the remaining dues. The court, however, declined to grant any relief.Justice Sharma observed that since Yadav had failed to comply with the earlier surrender order, he would be heard only after he hands himself over to the jail authorities.
‘Repeated breach of undertakings’
Following the court’s observation, Yadav’s counsel informed the bench that the actor would surrender at Tihar Jail later in the day. The court clarified that after surrendering, Yadav would be at liberty to file an appropriate application in accordance with law.The High Court noted that the leniency earlier extended to Yadav had been withdrawn due to repeated breaches of undertakings. The sentence awarded by the trial court had been suspended in June 2024 solely to facilitate a settlement between the parties.However, the court recorded that despite multiple opportunities and clear timelines, Yadav failed to honour commitments involving payments running into several crores of rupees. Even partial payments promised through demand drafts and instalment schedules were not deposited within the stipulated time.Rejecting explanations citing technical or typographical errors in demand drafts, the court held that such reasons did not inspire confidence, especially given the consistent pattern of default.
Amounts to be released to complainant
Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma also took adverse note of the fact that undertakings were given in open court through senior counsel and that additional time was granted based on the actor’s instructions. Despite this, no effective compliance followed.Taking note of the admitted liability and repeated non-compliance, the High Court declined to extend any further indulgence and directed that the amounts already deposited with the Registrar General be released in favour of the complainant company.
