Rajpal Yadav calls Rs 9 crore debt and cheque-bounce case an ‘ego clash’, speaks out amid legal battle

Rajpal Yadav calls Rs 9 crore debt and cheque-bounce case an ‘ego clash’, speaks out amid legal battle

• Rajpal Yadav calls Rs 9 crore dispute an ego clash, not financial
• He claims the deal was verbal, based on trust, not a formal loan
• Delhi High Court granted him interim bail until March 18, 2026

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Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav broke his silence on the long-running Rs 9 crore cheque-bounce and debt dispute, describing it as an “ego clash” rather than a straightforward financial disagreement, during a press conference in New Delhi on February 28, 2026. Rajpal, who had surrendered to authorities earlier this month and spent time in Tihar Jail before securing interim bail from the Delhi High Court, maintained that the contentious deal was a verbal, trust-based arrangement, not a formal loan agreement.

Addressing the media, Rajpal explained that the agreement was rooted in personal trust — or what he called a “ghar ka maamla” (a family matter) — with a businessman who provided funds over a decade ago to support his directorial debut Ata Pata Laapata.

“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 he could finish, his own lawyer interjected, highlighting the actor’s admission of trust as a mistake, which underscored the complexity of the situation.“If you say that trusting that man was a mistake, then Rajpal Yadav has made that mistake.”

The legal battle dates back to 2010, when Rajpal received Rs 5 crore from Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to fund his film, which ultimately failed at the box office, triggering repayment problems and a series of bounced cheques. Subsequent court proceedings resulted in Rajpal's conviction under the Negotiable Instruments Act, and despite partial payments made over the years, a substantial portion of the liability remained unresolved.

Also read: Rajpal Yadav launches YouTube channel after interim bail, seeks fans’ blessings

Recent court orders required him to surrender after previous extensions were denied, but the Delhi High Court granted interim bail until March 18, 2026, with conditions including a bail bond and surety.