Students of a gurukul school in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, have shared disappointment after actor Rajpal Yadav did not meet them despite their earlier gesture of sending him money they had saved from their pocket expenses while he was in jail.
In response, the actor said he had ‘only recently returned home and had not yet been able to properly spend time with his family’, but assured that he would definitely meet the children.
According to authorities at Gurukul Seva Trust, nearly 40 students filled a piggy bank with their savings and sent it on February 21 to the actor’s ancestral address in Kundra as a token of support during his imprisonment.
They also sent an emotional letter to the Bhool Bhulaiyaa actor along with the piggy bank, expressing their desire to meet him after his release from jail.
Later, a video featuring the children went viral on social media, in which they congratulated Rajpal Yadav on his return home. However, they also asked if he received their help and why he had not replied. They added that if a meeting wasn’t possible, he could at least have spoken to them to reassure them.
Speaking to PTI, Yadav said he was still gathering details about those who had supported him. When informed that the children were from a gurukul school, he reiterated his respect for the guru tradition and said that all the children were like his own.
School chairman Kumar Sagar said the piggy bank contained contributions from the students, along with some additional amount added before dispatch.
Yadav was sent to Tihar Jail after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea seeking additional time to repay outstanding dues in the cases. The actor is required to pay nearly Rs 9 crore.
In 2010, Yadav had borrowed Rs 5 crore from a private firm, Murli Projects Private Limited, to produce the film Ata Pata Lapata. The film failed at the box office, and Yadav faced financial difficulties. He was unable to repay the loan on time.
The cheques issued by him at the time of taking the loan reportedly bounced, following which a complaint was filed against him. Although there was a settlement between the parties, the full payment was not made, and interest accumulated over time, significantly increasing the total liability.
In 2018, a Delhi court in Karkardooma convicted Yadav and sentenced him to six months in jail. He subsequently approached higher courts and was granted relief on multiple occasions after assuring payment and settlement.
After Yadav went to jail, several Bollywood celebrities and politicians — including actors Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Varun Dhawan, Sonu Sood, filmmaker David Dhawan and politician Tej Pratap Yadav — pledged support to him.
Boxer-actor Vijender Singh also stepped forward in support on Monday, offering Yadav a role in his upcoming film with filmmaker Sanjay Sanju Saini.
Yadav has already paid Rs 1.5 crore of his total Rs 9 crore debt, his lawyer told the court.