Kamal Ghorui
Tej Pratap Yadav and Rajpal Yadav (Images/Agencies)
NEW DELHI: Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief Tej Pratap Yadav on Tuesday announced financial assistance of Rs 11 lakh for actor and comedian Rajpal Yadav after learning about his financial and legal difficulties.Tej Pratap Yadav said that he came to know about Rajpal Yadav’s condition through a social media post by his elder brother Rao Inderjeet Yadav. Expressing solidarity with the actor and his family, the JJD chief said the assistance was being extended on humanitarian grounds.In a post on X, Tej Pratap Yadav wrote, “I just received information about the pain of the family of the honorable Rajpal Yadav ji through the post of my elder brother Rao Inderjeet Yadav ji. In this extremely difficult time, I and my entire JJD (Jan Shakti Janata Dal) family stand in complete empathy and solidarity with their grieving family.”Announcing the financial support, he added, “With a spirit of human compassion and support, on behalf of the JJD family, I am providing financial assistance of Rs 11,00,000 (eleven lakh rupees) to their family.”The support comes amid Rajpal Yadav’s ongoing legal troubles. Earlier, the actor surrendered before authorities at Tihar Jail after the Delhi high court rejected his plea seeking more time to repay dues in multiple cheque-bounce cases.Rajpal Yadav, a National School of Drama (NSD) graduate known for films such as Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Phir Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Hungama and Chup Chup Ke, is facing seven cheque-bounce cases involving a total liability of nearly Rs 9 crore.The cases stem from a Rs 5-crore loan taken in 2010 from M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to finance his directorial debut film Ata Pata Laapata. The film failed at the box office and the loan remained unpaid.The Delhi high court had earlier directed Yadav to pay Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases and ordered the release of amounts already deposited with the court’s registrar general to the complainant. After Yadav failed to comply with the payment schedule, the court declined to grant him additional time, leading to his surrender.Before surrendering, Rajpal Yadav said that he had no financial means to clear the dues. When asked whether he had sought help from colleagues in the film industry, he said, “Everyone is on their own” in the industry.Meanwhile, actor Sonu Sood also extended support to Rajpal Yadav following his surrender. Announcing that Yadav would be part of his upcoming film and would receive a signing amount, Sood appealed to members of the film industry to step forward.In a post on X, Sood wrote, “Rajpal Yadav is a gifted actor who has given years of unforgettable work to our industry. Sometimes life turns unfair, not because of talent, but because timing can be brutal. He will be part of my film, and I believe this is the moment for all of us… Producers, directors, colleagues to stand together.”He added, “A small signing amount, adjustable against future work, is not charity, it’s dignity.”Fans welcomed Sood’s gesture on social media, with several users praising the actor for standing by a colleague during a difficult phase.
