Perth, 1985. India were trailing West Germany 1-5 at hockey's Champions Trophy with about eight minutes left when a 20-year-old fullback picked up the ball near the halfway line, ran at the defence, skipped past four defenders, and lifted it over the goalkeeper. It sparked a comeback still counted among Indian hockey's greatest. India scored four times in that spell to draw 5-5. Forty-one years later, the Congress has handed him the ball in Punjab with lots to defend against, and everything to play for. "It all happened so fast. Maybe the Germans did not expect it from me," Pargat Singh recalled about that match in Australia in a 1991 interview. On Friday, the party named the former Olympic captain its state unit chief, two days after Amarinder Singh Raja Warring resigned and months before the 2027 Assembly elections. Picking Pargat was a fallback, though not purely defensive. Former minister Vijay Inder Singla, a Hindu from the Bania (trader) community who he...
A decade-old moment of admiration involving Amitabh Bachchan and Rajpal Yadav has resurfaced amid the latter's ongoing legal troubles.
What Amitabh Bachchan Said About Rajpal Yadav
At the music launch of Rajpal Yadav's film Ata Pata Laapata in 2012, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan made a special appearance. Speaking at the event, he said, "I feel very honoured that Rajpal has invited me here today and I have had the good fortune of working with him in the past."
He also acknowledged the struggles Rajpal had faced throughout his journey in the film industry and praised his dedication to his craft.
Inside Rajpal Yadav's Decade-Long Legal Battle
Rajpal Yadav's legal troubles began in 2010, when he borrowed around Rs 5 crore from M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd to fund his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata. The film failed to perform at the box office, resulting in heavy financial losses and limited returns.
Unable to repay the loan, Rajpal faced mounting interest, penalties, and delayed payments, which eventually pushed the outstanding amount to nearly Rs 9 crore. In an attempt to settle the dues, he issued several cheques to the lender. These cheques were later dishonoured, leading to criminal proceedings under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
In April 2018, a magisterial court convicted Rajpal Yadav and his wife in multiple cheque bounce cases and sentenced him to six months in prison. The verdict was upheld by a sessions court in 2019, following which the matter reached the Delhi High Court.
Over the years, he was granted several extensions to repay the amount in instalments. While he made partial payments and offered repeated assurances, the court observed that he consistently failed to follow the agreed timelines.
The court noted that he was required to pay Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him and directed that the amount deposited with the Registrar General be released to the complainant. In October 2025, two demand drafts of Rs 75 lakh were submitted, but nearly Rs 9 crore remained unpaid.
In June 2024, the High Court temporarily suspended his conviction on the condition that he make sincere efforts to reach an amicable settlement. These efforts were later found to be ineffective.
On February 2, 2026, the Delhi High Court directed Rajpal Yadav to surrender before jail authorities by 4 pm on February 4, observing that his repeated breaches of undertakings deserved strong criticism.
On February 5, 2026, Rajpal Yadav appeared in person before the court. His counsel informed the judge that he was ready to submit a demand draft of Rs 25 lakh and follow a fresh payment schedule. Despite the offer, the court declined to reconsider its order, stressing that compassion must be balanced with discipline and that no special treatment could be given based on professional background.
Later the same day, Rajpal Yadav surrendered at Tihar Jail and began serving his six-month sentence.
ALSO READ: Why Is Rajpal Yadav In Tihar Jail? Rs 9-Crore Cheque-Bounce Case Explained
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/opu0YI1
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