Jails need smoking areas like airports: Rajpal Yadav after release in fraud case
India Today
The actor also said that the prisons should function as reform centres that give inmates structured opportunities to change, adding it is often hard to judge from outside who is a hardened criminal and who made a one-time mistake.
Actor Rajpal Yadav has called for designated smoking areas in jails, similar to those at railway stations and airports, after his temporary release from Tihar Jail.
Speaking to Press Trust of India, he said prisons should function as reform centres that give inmates structured opportunities to change, adding it is often hard to judge from outside who is a hardened criminal and who made a one-time mistake.
VIDEO | Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh: Actor Rajpal Yadav says, "... We often don’t know who is truly a criminal and who is respectable. But I have noticed one thing: wherever people are being punished, our prisons should also be upgraded for modern times. For example, there are pic.twitter.com/otbalgEa25— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 18, 2026
Yadav said his lawyer, Bhaskar Upadhyay, would respond to legal questions, and that he would avoid media interactions for two days due to a family wedding before addressing queries at a press conference. He also clarified that he remains an Indian citizen and voter in his village and wants to focus on earning more rather than seeking sympathy.
The actor was jailed after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea for more time to repay nearly Rs 9 crore in a cheque-bounce case. The court later suspended his sentence till March 18 and allowed his release after he deposited Rs 1.5 crore with the complainant, Murali Projects Pvt Ltd.
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