S.R. Dongaonkar, designated TADA judge has granted permission to Kalani to attend the marriage of his 23-year-old son at Ulhasnagar between December 11 and 20 under police escort.

Whether or not he will have his handcuffs on is not yet confirmed but Kalani will be under the eye of the police even as he performs the marriage rituals and entertains guests at functions preceding and following it. These include a bhog, dinner at Kalani Mahal, his Ulhasnagar residence, the wedding ceremony, reception and satwada party.

Advocate Girish Kulkarni filed an application to seek the court's permission for Kalani to attend the ceremonies or be granted provisional bail. ``While the court has permitted him to attend the functions, he will be in police escort and be brought to the nearest jail for the night on each of the days,'' said Kulkarni.

For the first time since November 12, 1992, the murder accused is being allowed to go back to Ulhasnagar. It was brought to the notice of the court by Kulkarni that on earlier occasions bail had been granted to police inspector K R Mistry, accused in the same case, and Victor Ezekiel, another TADA accused. Ezekiel was allowed by the court to attend his sister's wedding in Bangalore. It was stressed that the wedding of his only son was a major event and as the father he had to perform the marriage rituals.

The order was passed by the court in four cases including the murders of Ghanshyam Bhatija, Anna Shetty, Inder Bhatija and Gopal Rajwani, all members of the Gopal Rajwani gang.