Chennai, Sep 14 (IANS): Tamil Nadu police have courted controversy over providing protection to history-sheeter Naresh Babu during his marriage.

Police were present in every nook and corner of the wedding hall when Naresh Babu walked up the dias for the rituals.

As per police, he was given protection as a rival gang had plans to eliminate him during his wedding. Apparently, Naresh Babu (35) of Nadvarupettu has several criminal cases pending against him at Somangalam police station and on his wedding day, a rival gang was planning to kill him.

A large number of police from Kancheepuram station were seen frisking the guests who were arriving at the high-profile wedding.

Naresh Babu was allegedly involved in the recent beheading in the Somangalam police station limits a month ago and there was a death threat to him from the rival gang. He married a woman from Kodambakkam.

All the vehicles that arrived at the wedding hall were checked to prevent any goon entering the hall in plain clothes and attacking the groom.

Sources in police told IANS that Naresh Babu was asked to wind up the celebrations before 10 p.m. and that bloodshed be avoided.

However, police said that no unwanted element was present in the wedding hall as maximum precautions were taken to prevent any untoward incident.