Soha Ali to get notice on arms license

Gurgaon, Mar 18: The Haryana administration has decided to issue a show cause notice to actress Soha Ali Khan to clarify her position on the arms licence issued to her way back in 1996.

Talking to reporters here, Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Gupta today said as per the copy of Soha Ali Khan's passport available with the district administration, she was below 21 years when she was issued the arms licence in 1996. He said her date of birth mentioned in the copy of the passport was October 4, 1978 and she was was 18 years and one month and therefore not eligible to hold the arms licence it was issued to her in 1996. For holding an arms licence, one should be of minimum 21 years of age, he added. The Deputy Commissioner said a rifle (no 91501) was entered in her license and her father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was appointed a retainer of this rifle on January 7,2000. He said it was alleged that this rifle was recovered from Mr Pataudi in the black buck poaching case.

Since the offence occurred in the area of Jhajjar district, a report had been demanded from SP Jhajjer, the DC said.

After such a report was received, a two-week show cause notice under section 17(3)(D) of Arms Act would be served to Soha Ali Khan, asking her to explain why her arms licence should not be cancelled.

He said her license number was 1/DM/G/NOV-1996 and it was renewed in 1998, 2003 and 2005 after taking reports from the police.

Admitting that the original application file in the case was missing, the Deputy Commissioner said he would enquire into the matter and an FIR would be lodged in regard.

He said the renewal file of Soha Ali's licence was available with the administration.

The DC said the Right to Information Act was rightly used in this case and it was only through an application seeking information about Soha Ali's arms licence that he came to know about the lacuna that she was under age at the time issuing of arms licence.

UNI