Actor Rajpal Yadav has been released from Tihar Jail today on an interim bail in Rs 9 crore cheque bounce case. The next hearing will take place on March 18 and till then, the actor has been released. As he thanked the country, fans and Bollywood for all the support, now the businessman who had filed a case against the actor, has finally spoken on the matter. Businessman Madhav Gopal Agrawal, who had loaned Rs 5 crore to the actor for his 2012 directorial venture ‘Ata Pata Laapata’, has spoken out about the prolonged legal dispute.Agrawal revealed how his association with Rajpal began and how the financial disagreement unfolded over the past 14 years. He revealed in a conversation with News Pinch, A that during the early phase of the conflict, he visited the actor’s residence and “cried in front of him like a child,” explaining that the funds he had lent were themselves borrowed from others. He said he repeatedly requested Rajpal to provide a specific date so a fresh agreement could be drafted.
Agrawal, who represents M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd, said he was first introduced to the actor by MP Mithilesh Kumar Katheria. According to him, Rajpal had insisted that the film was nearly complete and that without immediate financial support, “everything would go to waste”.Initially hesitant, Agrawal claimed he eventually agreed to the loan after Rajpal’s wife, Radha, sent him emotional messages appealing for help. He emphasized that the agreement clearly stated that repayment would not be influenced by the film’s box office performance, censor certification, or any other hurdle. The actor, he said, had also provided a personal guarantee.The businessman added that the transaction was strictly a loan and not an investment, noting that investments typically do not involve personal guarantees or post-dated cheques.When repayment deadlines passed without payment, Agrawal contacted Rajpal, who allegedly told him he lacked the funds. This led to three supplementary agreements being signed, along with the issuance of new cheques.Agrawal further recounted that when megastar Amitabh Bachchan attended the film’s music launch event, he realised that, as per the agreement, the negatives and payment were to be handed over once the film was completed. Consequently, he approached the court seeking a stay on the film’s release.According to Agrawal, Rajpal later assured him that repayment would only be possible after the film hit theatres. Trusting this assurance, he agreed to a settlement and had the stay order lifted. However, the film failed commercially.By 2013, with no resolution in sight, Agrawal moved court again. Following judicial intervention, a settlement amount of Rs 10.40 crore was agreed upon. Though Rajpal issued several cheques toward the payment, all were dishonoured, pushing the matter further into legal proceedings.Concluding his remarks, Agrawal stated that as a businessman, his sole objective is to recover his money.
