Rajpal Yadav, Ameesha Patel, Rajkumar Santoshi: Bollywood names entangled in cheque bounce controversies

Comedian-actor Rajpal Yadav reportedly borrowed Rs 5 crore from a Delhi-based company to finance his directorial venture ‘Ata Pata Laapata’. After the film underperformed, he was unable to repay the amount. Seven cheques he issued allegedly bounced, causing the liability to swell to around Rs 9 crore. Following court directions, he surrendered at Tihar Jail in February 2026 and is currently out on interim bail.

Ameesha Patel became embroiled in a legal case tied to a 2017 event arrangement. She was accused of accepting payment but failing to attend the programme; a Rs 2 lakh cheque issued as a refund reportedly bounced afterward. A Moradabad court summoned the actor, and in 2026 she was directed to appear before the court regarding the matter.

The filmmaker was found guilty in a cheque bounce complaint filed by a supplier. A Mumbai magistrate court initially sentenced him to three months of simple imprisonment and ordered compensation of Rs 3.72 lakh. However, after a subsequent settlement between the parties, a sessions court closed the case and granted relief to Varma.

In 2019, the Andheri Metropolitan Court convicted Koena Mitra in a financial dispute involving a bounced cheque of about Rs 3 lakh. The court sentenced her to six months in prison and directed her to pay Rs 4.64 lakh as compensation. Reports suggested she had earlier borrowed Rs 22 lakh from the complainant.

Known for directing films like ‘Ghayal’, Rajkumar Santoshi faced legal action after allegedly failing to complete a project funded by a businessman from Jamnagar. He had issued multiple repayment cheques of Rs 10 lakh each, which reportedly bounced. A local court sentenced him to two years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 2.20 crore, though he later secured bail from the Gujarat High Court and the sentence was suspended.

Actor Alka Kaushal, seen in films such as ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ and the television show ‘Qubool Hai’, also encountered legal trouble after borrowing Rs 50 lakh from a Punjab farmer to produce a television project. Two cheques of Rs 25 lakh each issued for repayment bounced, leading a Sangrur court to sentence her and her mother to two years in prison. She served time in 2017 before being released in 2018.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on reported legal proceedings and public court records as of early 2026.