NEW DELHI, Mar 12 : She drove herself to the venue in a black SUV, he was brought in a police van with heavy security. And as armed police personnel swarmed the banquet hall, gangster Sandeep, better known as Kala Jathedi, wed Anuradha Choudhary alias Madam Minz on Tuesday in scenes straight out of an OTT thriller.
The bride is out on bail, the groom was let out of Tihar jail for a few hours and was back behind bars by afternoon after the wedding ceremony. Their romance, which blossomed in 2020, culminated in a wedding watched by scores of media personnel and security men on the alert.
Delhi Police had made foolproof security arrangements to avert any incident of gang-wars or the possibility of Sandeep’s escape from custody, sources said.
While Sandeep faces around two dozen criminal cases, including murder and robbery, his wife is named in about half-a-dozen cases related to money laundering and abduction.
The duo’s love story began in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, where Anuradha met Sandeep through a common associate Vicky Singh.
The marriage of Sandeep, 40, with “history-sheeter” Anuradha, 39, was held in presence of select gathering under heavy deployment of police force at a banquet hall here in Dwarka.
Sandeep, facing around two dozen criminal cases and lodged in Tihar jail, was brought in a police van under tight security at the venue around 10.15 am to tie the knot with Anuradha, who is out on bail.
Driving herself, Anuradha reached the venue in a black colour Mahindra Scorpio SUV. She was accompanied by members of her family.
Donning a red colour suit and wearing black goggles, Anuradha entered the banquet, Santosh Garden, which had already turned into the fortress with door frame metal detectors, drones and deployment of SWAT (Special Weapons and Techniques) commandos of Delhi Police.
Armed policemen were also deployed at the terrace of neighbouring buildings. Over half a dozen CCTV cameras and drones were also in play to monitor the activities during the wedding.
Sandeep changed his clothes for marriage at the venue. He wore ‘kurta-pajama’ with a half jacket on it. Anuradha wore a pink colour ‘saree’ for wedding rituals.
Sandeep had been granted the time of 10 am to 4 pm for his wedding by a Delhi court. On Wednesday, he will be taken to his home town in village Jathedi in Sonipat, Haryana for the couple’s home-coming rituals.
The marriage ceremony started with ‘jaimala’ and was followed by rituals, which were witnessed by over 50 guests. The names of every guest were noted down in a register.
On Tuesday, some invited persons could not attend the wedding ceremony as police personnel did not allow those not carrying ID cards issued by government authorities.
The Delhi Police had made foolproof security arrangements to avert any incident of gang-wars or the possibility of Sandeep’s escape from custody, sources said.
The ‘mandap’ was guarded by around 20 police personnel wearing bulletproof vests and body cameras.The banquet was booked by Sandeep’s lawyer on Rs 51,000. It is located seven kilometres away from Tihar.
The media persons were asked to remain in an enclosure near the entry of the banquet. However, during the marriage ceremony, they were allowed to enter inside but without their mobile phones.
After the marriage, Sandeep’s mother Kamla said she was happy with her son’s marriage. “He told me, ‘Maa, everything is fine’. He will not indulge in any wrongdoing further,” Kamla told media at the venue.
Sandeep was taken back to Tihar around 3.50 pm in the same police van, in which he was bought.
A senior police officer said that Anuradha, who is pursuing law, wishes to fight her husband’s case in court.
Anuradha, once a closed confidante of slain gangster Anandpal Singh, is facing over half-a-dozen cases related to money laundering, abduction, issuing threats and arms Act in Rajasthan and Delhi.
Sandeep, who is a close associate of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, is facing over a dozen cases of robbery, murders, attempt to murder, extortions and arms Act in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, according to Delhi police records.
An official in the Delhi Police said that they got to know that Anuradha was taking care of Sandeep’s parents in Sonipat.
Anuradha, in a recent interview with some media, said both of them will forsake the path of crime and lead a normal life after their marriage. (PTI)