The Supreme Court has allowed actor Rajpal Yadav to seek the release of his passport so he can travel to Canada for a film shoot, even as his cheque-bounce case continues. The court also sent his money dispute with creditors to mediation.
Passport release with conditions
The court said the passport can be released “subject to conditions” set by the trial court. Rajpal Yadav must follow these conditions before he travels abroad.As per a LiveLaw report, advocate Vikrant Yadav, who appeared for the actor, asked for the passport to be released. He told the court that the actor might need to travel overseas for work.The court also directed that Rajpal Yadav must inform the trial court once he returns from his trip.
Dispute sent to mediation
The bench observed that the matter was fit for an amicable settlement through mediation, considering the issues raised and the complexity involved. A mediator has been appointed, and both sides have been asked to contact the mediator and fix a date. The mediator may ask them to appear in person or online.The court noted that Rs 2 crore has already been deposited with its registry. The mediation is expected to address the pending money issues between the actor and his creditors. Meanwhile, the passport order will let him continue with his professional commitments, subject to the trial court’s conditions.
What is the Rajpal Yadav cheque-bounce case?
The case goes back to 2010, when Yadav took Rs 5 crore from Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to fund his film ‘Ata Pata Laapata’, his first as director. The film did not do well at the box office and led to heavy losses. Under a later settlement, Yadav, his wife and their company reportedly agreed to repay the amount with interest.In 2013, the actor gave seven cheques of Rs 1.05 crore each towards repayment, but all of them bounced. This led to seven cheque-bounce cases against him.
Rajpal Yadav spoke of his struggles
Earlier this month, Rajpal Yadav appeared before the Supreme Court and spoke about the financial and professional troubles he faced during the long legal fight. He claimed ‘Ata Pata Laapata’ caused him a loss of Rs 17 crore and that the case hurt his career and reputation.At the October 7 hearing, he also said he had thought of the title ‘Solah Sawan Jhel Ke’ for a film based on his own experiences. The court had earlier asked him to arrange funds for the pending dues, and it later recorded the Rs 2 crore deposit before referring the remaining dispute to mediation.
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