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The Haryana Lokayukta has sought a report from the Gurgaon police on allegations that they provided an arms licence to actor Soha Ali Khan when she was a minor.
Lokayukta Justice (retd.) Nawal Kishore Agarwal on Saturday directed the Gurgaon Police Commissioner and the force’s Arms Licensing Authority to submit their reports by July 24.
Talking with the New Indian Express, director general of police of Haryana BS Sandhu said, “We are yet to receive the orders from the Haryana Lokayukta Justice N K Aggarwal (retd), once we get the orders we will seek a legal opinion on the case and then in the probe if she is found guilty we will take action as per law.”
The action comes after a report by Lokayukta Registrar Manjit Singh Sullar on a complaint by Haryana People for Animals chairman Naresh Kadyan.
Mr. Kadyan alleged that Soha got an arms licence when she was under the age of 18.
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He claimed that Soha obtained the licence on November 5, 1996 from the then Gurgaon district magistrate.
The licence was granted for a .20 bore gun, an NPB rifle, pistol and a .22 bore rifle, Mr. Kadyan said, adding that her father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was named as the retainer of the weapons.
The complainant alleged that the retainer of the rifle misused the weapon in hunting a female black buck and an FIR was registered on June 5, 2005 under Sections 51, 39, 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, at the Jhajjar police station.
The complaint states that Soha obtained arms licence by concealing the material fact of her age from the competent authority.
Singh stated that prima facie, Soha committed an offence of cheating (section 420 of IPC). Besides that she could be in trouble in other sections of Indian Penal Code and Arms Act if the investigation indicts her.
It should be probed whether the sub-divisional magistrate who issued her licence in the first instance made any inquiry regarding her age or whether he had sufficient proof, the report said.
On the basis of the complaint, Justice Agarwal issued the orders to the authorities.
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