Rajpal Yadav thanks fans and film fraternity; calls for designated smoking rooms in jails

Actor Rajpal Yadav on Wednesday thanked the film fraternity and audiences for their support following his release from jail and urged the prison authorities to introduce smoking rooms inside the premises.Speaking to PTI Video at his ancestral village in Shahjahanpur district after his release from Tihar Jail in connection with a cheque-bounce case, Yadav said he received immense love from people.Yadav said there should be "designated smoking areas inside jails, similar to facilities at railway stations and airports".He also stressed that prisons should function as reform centres where inmates should be given structured opportunities to change, though the law remained supreme for those unwilling to reform, he added."It is often difficult to judge from outside who is a hardened criminal and who made a one-time mistake," he said."My advocate Bhaskar Upadhyay will officially respond to all legal questions," he said, adding 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.Yadav said he was born in India, had never changed his passport and continued to remain a voter in his village."I want to increase my earnings, not change my currency," he said, adding that he sought time, not sympathy.Yadav said he does not mind if his photos or videos benefited others."Laugh at Rajpal Yadav or laugh because of Rajpal Yadav," he said.Speaking about his smoking habit, the actor said he had tried to quit a lot many times and clarified that he was not promoting tobacco use.Yadav, known for films such as "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi", "Waqt", "Phir Hera Pheri", "Partner", "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", "Hungama" and "Chup Chup Ke", was sent to jail last week after the high court rejected his plea seeking more time to repay the outstanding amount in a cheque bouncing case. He is required to pay nearly Rs 9 crore.The Delhi High Court on Monday suspended his sentence till March 18 in the cheque bounce cases and allowed his release from jail. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma passed the order after noting that Yadav had deposited Rs 1.5 crore in the bank account of the complainant, M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd.After he surrendered to Tihar Jail authorities, actors Sonu Sood and Gurmeet Choudhary, along with music composer Rao Inderjit Yadav, offered financial assistance to his family and appealed to others to extend support.