Rajpal Yadav, the Bollywood actor known for his comedic roles, has surrendered to Tihar Jail in connection with a long-standing cheque bounce case involving approximately ₹9 crore. The case dates back to 2010 when Yadav borrowed ₹5 crore from M/s Murali Projects Pvt. Ltd. to finance his directorial debut, "Ata Pata Lapata". The film's failure at the box office led to a repayment crisis.

Subsequently, several cheques issued by Yadav and his wife bounced, resulting in multiple legal cases. In 2018, a Delhi court convicted Yadav and his wife in connection with the cheque bounce cases. The court sentenced him to six months' imprisonment. In 2019, a sessions court upheld the conviction.

Yadav then challenged the conviction in the Delhi High Court. In June 2024, the High Court stayed the sentence to allow time for a settlement, urging him to take sincere measures to settle the outstanding debt, which had grown to approximately ₹9 crore. However, according to the court, Yadav repeatedly failed to comply with court orders and did not make the payments as promised. The court noted multiple violations and a failure to pay the outstanding amount.

On February 2, 2026, Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court criticized Yadav for repeatedly breaching court undertakings and failing to make payments despite multiple opportunities. The court described his conduct as "deplorable" and directed him to surrender to jail authorities by February 4, 2026, to serve his sentence.

Yadav's legal team sought extensions, citing his work commitments in Mumbai and offering partial payments. He reportedly arranged ₹50 lakh and requested more time to pay the remaining amount. However, the court rejected these pleas, refusing to grant any further relief or extensions. The judge emphasized that no special treatment would be given to him due to his celebrity status and that compliance with the law is required. The court also pointed out that Yadav had been granted extra time to surrender previously and saw no valid reason to delay the process further. The judge noted that he had sought extensions at least 15-20 times in the past.

Consequently, Rajpal Yadav surrendered to Tihar Jail authorities on February 5, 2026. A jail source confirmed that he surrendered at 4 pm on Thursday and that standard operating procedures would be followed.