- By Swati Singh
- Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:12 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Actor Rajpal Yadav, who was released from Tihar Jail till March 18 in the Rs 9 crore cheque bounce case, issued his first statement thanking the nation and Bollywood colleagues for their support. In a latest update, he has also urged prison authorities to introduce smoking rooms on the premises. He added that prisons should function as reform centres, offering inmates structured opportunities to change, while stressing that the law must remain supreme for those unwilling to reform.
Speaking at his ancestral village in Shahjahanpur district, Rajpal said, "There should be designated smoking areas inside jails, similar to facilities at railway stations and airports."
He further added, "It is often difficult to judge from the outside who is a hardened criminal and who made a one-time mistake. My advocate Bhaskar Upadhyay will officially respond to all legal questions." He also said that he would not speak to the media for the next two days due to a family wedding and would address queries through a press conference later.
Rajpal earlier told the media that his case dates back to 2012 and that he has always appeared before the High Court whenever summoned. Thanking the judiciary and his supporters, he said he was ready to respond to any allegations and expressed gratitude for being given a fair hearing.
The Delhi High Court granted him interim bail till March 18, with Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma directing him to furnish a Rs 1 lakh bail bond and one surety. The court granted relief after confirming that Rajpal had deposited Rs 1.5 crore in the complainant M/S Murli Project’s bank account against the bounced cheque amount.