Actor Rajpal Yadav has been in the headlines after being sent to Tihar Jail over a ₹9 crore debt and cheque bounce case. The actor was granted interim bail, and was released on February 16. Now, he has claimed that the deal in question was entirely verbal and based on trust, calling it a “ghar ka maamla”.
Rajpal Yadav on the money deal
On Saturday, Rajpal addressed the media in a press conference, opening up about various aspects of his life, including the legal case that has recently brought him significant challenges.
At the press conference, Rajpal stated that the agreement was purely verbal and rooted in trust, calling it a “ghar ka maamla” (a personal matter). He added that he had committed to returning ₹8 crore following the film’s release. He claimed that no lawyer was involved when the agreement was made.
“When the deal happened, Bhaskar ji (Rajpal’s lawyer) wasn’t in the picture. I have worked in over 250 films. If I look back at those agreements, every contract will have some loophole. When this deal took place, I never imagined it would be dragged to court. This fight is an ego clash. The person wants me to fall at his feet in return for ₹5 crore. He doesn’t want money. If it was for money, I am ready to pay since 2013. The money came to me first. I went to the Laxmi Nagar office and blindly signed the papers without reading them. I did make a mistake there,” he said.
The actor continued, “Because it was a ‘ghar ka maamla’, I didn’t involve lawyers. Sometimes, you trust people’s words and relationships more than paperwork. In my mind, I thought – a man whose net worth is between ₹1,000 and ₹1,500 crore gave me ₹5 crore within minutes on a single phone call; why would he ever file a case against me? There was no lawyer involved, and not even my wife was aware. What we had agreed upon was that after the film’s release, he would receive ₹8 crore instead of ₹5 crore, and whatever remained would be mine. The film earned ₹1 crore…”
Before Rajpal could finish his statement, his lawyer interrupted him and took the floor, remarking, “If you say that trusting that man was a mistake, then Rajpal Yadav has made that mistake.”
About the case
The trouble began in 2010 when Rajpal took a loan of ₹5 crore from Delhi-based Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to fund his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata (2012). The film’s failure at the box office sparked a repayment crisis, leading to a legal battle that saw a Magisterial Court convict him and his wife, Radha, in April 2018 under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. After seven cheques issued to the complainant bounced, the actor was sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment, a conviction that was later upheld by a Sessions Court in early 2019. By October 2025, although Yadav deposited ₹75 lakh through two demand drafts, the court noted that the bulk of the liability remained unpaid.
Last month, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma ordered the actor to surrender, noting that leniency cannot be extended endlessly for anyone, regardless of their celebrity status. On February 4, 2026, the court rejected a last-minute “mercy plea” for a one-week extension to arrange funds, with the judge observing that Rajpal had failed to honour nearly 20 different undertakings in the past.
Rajpal surrendered in Tihar Jail on February 5 after the Delhi High Court declined to grant him more time in long-pending cheque bounce cases. The Delhi High Court granted interim bail to the actor till March 18. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma granted Rajpal interim bail, subject to his depositing ₹1 lakh as bail bond and furnishing one surety. On the work front, Rajpal will be seen next in Bhooth Bangla.