Rajpal Yadav’s Rs 22 Crore Cheque-Bounce Fight Heads to Mediation

Rajpal Yadav’s 14-year cheque-bounce dispute has entered a different phase. The Supreme Court has referred the matter involving M/s Murli Projects Pvt Ltd to mediation and asked the trial court to release the actor’s passport with suitable conditions, which would allow him to travel abroad for work.

That is a meaningful change from the prospect of a three-month sentence, even if the legal fight is far from over.

Speaking to news agency ANI after the order, Yadav said he was grateful to the court for letting him present his side “for the first time in 14 years” and that he would abide by whatever the Supreme Court decides.

How the case reached mediation

The dispute sits on a long legal trail. In July 2026, the Delhi High Court upheld Yadav’s conviction and a three-month sentence in seven cheque-bounce cases. The actor has challenged that order, and that challenge remains pending.

Before referring the matter to mediation, the Supreme Court noted that Yadav had followed its direction to deposit money with the court registry. The deposits break down like this:

• 7 October 2026: Rs 1.15 crore deposited with the court registry.
• 13 October 2026: Rs 85 lakh deposited, taking the total to Rs 2 crore.
• 17 October 2026: The Supreme Court sends the case to mediation and orders his passport released with conditions.
• Still open: His challenge to the High Court’s July 2026 conviction order.

The Rs 22 crore question

Yadav has not been quiet about the figure at the centre of the case. He said a smaller amount could have been settled, but the matter involves Rs 22 crore. He also questioned whether M/s Murli Projects Pvt Ltd was permitted to lend money in 2010 and whether it was a Non-Banking Financial Company. On the interest, he asked whether Indian law allowed bank loans at 12–15 per cent while the interest here was, as he put it, four to five times over.

The actor also addressed the court’s reported line that “drama does not work in court.” His retort: “I have been acting for 42 years, so I’m well-fed on that!” But he added that anyone creating drama should be exposed.

What this changes for him

The passport order is the most concrete change. Travel, auditions, shoots and personal commitments abroad all get easier while the legal process continues. The mediation, for its part, offers a route toward settlement rather than sentencing.

Yadav framed the fight as one he will continue. “I am a worshipper of dialogue. I will fight this battle through dialogue, but until the complete truth comes out, this fight will continue,” he told ANI. He added that others had tried to take away everything from him but could not take his smile, self-confidence or love.

For fans, the update matters because it keeps the actor’s career in play. He was recently seen in Priyadarshan’s Haiwaan alongside Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, so a passport that can be used and a mediation date could both shape how quickly he returns to a full slate of work.

Source: The Times of India