Delhi HC directs actor Rajpal Yadav to surrender in cheque bounce cases
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court has directed actor Rajpal Yadav to surrender before jail authorities by February 4 in connection with his conviction in cheque bounce cases.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma observed that Yadav's conduct deserved to be deprecated as he repeatedly breached his undertakings to the court to repay the amount to the complainant M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd.
The judge noted that Yadav was required to make payment of Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him, and directed that the amount already deposited with the Registrar General of the high court be released in favour of the complainant.
In October 2025, two demand drafts (DDs) of Rs 75 lakh were deposited with the Registrar General and an amount of Rs 9 crore remained payable, the court noted in the order.
"Despite repeatedly giving assurances and seeking indulgence of this court, the petitioner no. 1 has failed to comply with the orders passed from time to time... This Court finds no justification to continue the indulgence granted to the petitioner no. 1 earlier, especially in the case as the present one, where the petitioner no. 1 himself has admitted the liability and undertaken to repay the amount," said the court in order passed on February 2.
"In the interest of justice, the petitioner no. 1 is directed to surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent by 04.02.2026, 4:00 PM, to serve the sentence awarded to him by the learned trial court. This limited indulgence is granted at the request of the learned senior counsel for the petitioners, who submits that the petitioner no. 1 is presently engaged in some professional work at Mumbai," the court ordered.
The counsel for the actor said he had neither been able to comply with the orders of the court nor with the settlement arrived at between the parties.
He "fairly conceded" that Yadav was granted several opportunities and "considerable leniency" was shown on multiple occasions when time was sought to deposit the settlement amount, the court recorded.
The court's order came on revision petitions by Yadav and his wife challenging a 2019 decision of a sessions court, which upheld their conviction by a magisterial court here in the cheque-bounce cases in April 2018.
In June 2024, the high court had temporarily suspended his conviction, subject to him adopting "sincere and genuine measures" to explore the possibility of reaching an amicable settlement with the opposite party.
The magisterial court had sentenced him to undergo six months' imprisonment.
At that time, Yadav's counsel had said it was a genuine transaction to finance the production of a movie, which bombed at the box office, resulting in huge financial losses.
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CBCI urges Prime Minister Modi to condemn attacks on Christians, bring fringe groups under control
Bengaluru: Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly condemn attacks on Christians and take firm steps to protect the rights of religious minorities, saying it is the constitutional duty of the government to do so.
Addressing a press conference a day ahead of the CBCI’s 37th General Body Meeting in Bengaluru, Archbishop Thazhath said the Church has consistently approached government authorities whenever incidents of violence occur, but has never resorted to counter-attacks. “Protecting the rights of minorities and Christians is the duty of the government. Whenever we raise these issues, authorities often describe the perpetrators as fringe groups. If they are fringe groups, they must be condemned and brought under control,” he said.
The CBCI president said he had personally raised the issue with Prime Minister Modi on multiple occasions, including during the Prime Minister’s recent participation in Christmas celebrations. He expressed concern over attacks targeting Christians on the basis of religion, stressing that the Church does not view the issue through a political lens. “We are not political people. There have been attacks on Christians purely on the basis of religion, and we are afraid of this trend. We want the Prime Minister to take necessary precautions and clearly condemn such acts,” he said.
Archbishop Thazhath reiterated that the Christian response to violence is guided by faith and non-violence. “Our methodology is not to counter-attack because Jesus has taught us to love all, even our enemies,” he said. He also highlighted the Christian community’s long-standing contribution to nation-building. “Christians have contributed to this country and will continue to do so. Yet, religious discrimination and attacks continue to take place in some parts of the country, which causes fear,” he added.
His remarks come weeks after a pastor, Bipin Bihari Naik, was allegedly assaulted by Bajrang Dal workers in Odisha, where he was reportedly forced to eat cow dung and chant religious slogans. Without referring to specific cases, the Archbishop said attacks on Christians occur in different forms across various regions. He recalled that in August 2025, Catholic nuns and priests from Kerala were allegedly attacked by Bajrang Dal members in Odisha.
The CBCI General Body Meeting will begin on Wednesday under the theme “Faith and the Nation: The Church’s Witness to India’s Constitutional Vision”. Former Supreme Court judge Justice K.M. Joseph and Professor D. Dominic are scheduled to address the gathering on the topic “Current Socio-Political Context and Constitutional Values”.
According to the meeting agenda, deliberations will take place against the backdrop of several developments, including recent Supreme Court directives on a public interest litigation concerning anti-conversion laws, attacks on churches and Christian institutions in different regions, and incidents of violence and intimidation reported during the Christmas season.
In a pre-meeting media briefing, Archbishop Thazhath emphasised that despite being a numerical minority, Christians have made significant contributions to India. He underlined that the Constitution guarantees minority rights and the freedom to practise religion. Countering narratives that portray Christianity as foreign, he said the faith has been present in India for nearly 2,000 years. “Christianity is inherently Indian. It is not alien,” he asserted.
The Archbishop also expressed serious concern over what he described as growing hostility towards Christians, often under the guise of enforcing anti-conversion laws. He said he had conveyed these anxieties directly to the Prime Minister.
Also present at the briefing were CBCI Secretary General Archbishop Anil J.T. Couto, Vice-President II Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas, Deputy Secretary General Fr. Mathew Koyickal, and PRO Fr. Robinson Rodrigues.
