Match fixed: Ankeet Chavan ties the knot

Tainted Mumbai cricketer Ankeet Chavan savoured moments of happiness as he tied the wedding knot with Neha Sambari in a quiet ceremony yesterday afternoon. Chavan, who was arrested in the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot fixing scam in mid-May, was released on Friday by a Delhi court on bail for six days to enable him enter into the wedlock planned several months ago.

After his marriage and post-wedding functions, Chavan will return to the lockup on June 6, as per the court orders. Smiling but sombre, Chavan arrived at the wedding venue in a marriage procession which included family members, friends, a few neighbours and several cops in plain-clothes.

He sported a creamy white designer kurta, a dark brown dhoti and a red turban, while his bride Neha wore an auspicious red wedding sari as they entered the venue. After the nuptials were performed around 5 pm, the newly married couple sportingly posed for photographs before a battery of media photographers who virtually gatecrashed the venue.

Ankeet Chavan got married to Neha Sambari in a quiet ceremony yesterday afternoon. Chavan leaving the venue after the wedding ceremony. As per the court orders, he will return to the lockup on June 6. Pics/Bipin Kokate

Cricketers, film stars and celebrities, who usually throng such weddings, were conspicuous by their absence. However, his coach Dinesh Lad, his lawyer and a few local cricketers attended the wedding. The wedding reception was held at the same venue in which over 400 participated to partake in a typically Maharashtrian vegetarian wedding feast.

Chavan, along with his teammates S Sreesanth and Ajit Chandila all playing for IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals were nabbed by Delhi Police on May 16 on charges of indulging in spot fixing in an IPL match. He was granted bail by a Delhi court especially for his marriage with stringent conditions, including furnishing two sureties and a personal bond, surrendering his passport and not attempting to contact anybody connected with the IPL scam.

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