Gangster serving life term gets 12-hr parole to marry Cambodian partner in Haryana

In some ways, it was a standard farmhouse wedding: lunch for 500 guests at noon; then the usual wedding rituals.India NewsAnd in some ways, it was far from standard: the groom went back to prison at 8 pm Thursday, after the 12-hour parole granted to him for the wedding ended.Then, the story of life convict and gangster Mainpal Dhilla alias Mainpal Badli , is far from usual.For instance, the bride is Cambodian, Meta Chan; the two are believed to have met in 2018, when Dhilla fled to her country while out on parole. They have been in a relationship since, have three children, and lived together in Siem Reap till 2025, when Dhilla was finally re-arrested (by Cambodian authorities) and brought back to India.Understandably, the wedding, at Dulina Farm on the Jhajjar-Gurugram Road, nearly 1.5 kilometres-km from Jhajjar jail where Dhilla is serving out his sentence, saw the presence of at least 100 police personnel.Simardeep Singh, superintendent of police, Jhajjar said that elaborate security arrangements were made at the venue, with personnel deployed around the farmhouse and checks conducted on people entering the premises. “The movement of guests and relatives was closely monitored and the media was not permitted inside the venue because of security considerations.”Dhilla, a resident of Badli village in Jhajjar district, is serving a life sentence in connection with a case registered in Bahadurgarh in 2007 involving murder, attempt to murder, illegal use of firearms and criminal conspiracy. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2013. Officials said he was also convicted in two other cases.Police records cited by officials show that Dhilla was granted six weeks parole from Hisar Central Jail on July 17, 2018. He allegedly failed to return to prison after the parole period and fled the country on August 29 that year using a fake identity, according to officials. He was subsequently traced to Cambodia.His disappearance triggered an international search. Following a request from Haryana Police, the Central Bureau of Investigation obtained an Interpol Red Notice against him on November 6, 2024. CBI subsequently sought his provisional arrest through Interpol channels in March 2025.Cambodian authorities arrested Dhilla on July 24, 2025, following coordination with Indian agencies. A Haryana Special Task Force team later travelled to Cambodia and brought him back to India. He was formally arrested after his arrival in Delhi in September 2025 and has since been serving the reminder of his term. He is serving life term, he wont be eligible for remission for now, the jail authorities have confirmed requesting anonymity.Officials said Thursday’s parole was granted through the prescribed legal process and was subject to strict conditions because of Dhilla’s 2018 escape. For the wedding, he sported a shirt and pant; the bride was dressed in lavender embroidered suit.And at 8 pm, he shed his wedding finery and returned to jail.Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More