At last---- They get Married

Clad in red traditional bridal wear, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza married Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik Monday afternoon after they got a no-objection certificate from the city police.

Accompanied by her father Imran Mirza, mother Naseema, younger sister Anam and a few close relatives, Sania reached a five-star hotel, Taj Deccan, where according to Qazi Mohammed Najeebuddin, the ‘nikah’took place at 1.15 p.m.

The 23-year-old, who was wearing a red saree, which her mother wore on her wedding 25 years ago, left her residence in Jubliee Hills amid drum beats.

Shoaib, 28, who divorced his first Ayesha Siddiqui last week, wore a black ’sherwani’ which was made by Shantanu and Nikhil.

Since the Qazi had refused to perform the ‘nikah’ Friday in the absence of Shoaib’s passport, sources said Sania’s family got a no-objection certificate from the Hyderabad police.

Shoaib’s passport, seized last week in connection with the case filed by his first wife Ayesha Siddiqui, is still with the police.

Security has been tightened at the hotel and the media was not allowed inside.

Earlier, Sania’s spokesperson confirmed that the wedding would be held Monday.

“This is to confirm that Sania and Shoaib’s wedding will take place shortly. The timing and venue can’t be disclosed for security reasons,” Rucha Naik told reporters outside Sania’s residence.

Naik said there would be a ‘mehendi’ ceremony Tuesday. The ’sangeet’ would be held the next day while Sania’s family would hold the wedding reception April 15.

The ‘nikah’ put an end to a series of controversies surrounding the high-profile marriage ever since it was announced March 29.

It is learnt that the two families decided to solemnise the marriage Monday to avoid further controversies, especially in the light of Sunday’s ‘fatwa’ issued by Islamic religious scholars against Sania and Shoaib living together before their marriage.

Sania’s media manager Sunday night clarified that Shoaib moved out of Sania’s house a few days ago.

The Sunni Ulema Board, a group of religious scholars, had declared that the act of Sania and Shoaib living together was against Islamic Shariat. It asked Muslims not to attend such marriages where men and women come together in close proximity in violation of Islamic rules.

Additional Commissioner of Police N. Narasimha Reddy said it may take a week for Shoaib to get back his passport from a court as some formalities with regard to closure of the case would have to be completed.

Ayesha withdrew the case Wednesday after Shoaib divorced her.