At the time of acquiring the gun licence, Soha was only 18 years old: proved by the date of birth on her passport issued from Gurgaon, officials said.

On Tuesday, Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Gupta had said the notice would be issued after the Jhajhar police submitted their report.

According to Gupta, the SSP Jhajhar was asked to investigate the matter as the licence was renewed in 2005, even though at the time the gun was supposed to be under the Jhajhar police custody.

In the notice, Soha has been asked to explain why she applied for the licence on November 5, 1996, when she was below 21 years. According to Arms Act of 1959, the minimum age of applicant is 21 years.

She has also been asked to explain her role in the black buck case registered against her father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

As per records, in June 2005, Pataudi had used the same gun licensed under his daughter’s name, to shoot the endangered species of black buck in Jhajhar.

A case was registered at Jhajhar Police Station against Pataudi in this regard and the gun was taken into custody.

But, as the first licence issued in Soha’s name was to expire in December the same year, she applied for renewal in September. “We have asked her to explain that while moving an application before the SDM in Gurgaon for renewal of the aforesaid weapon on September 7, 2005, she concealed that the rifle entered in her arms license was in custody of Jhajjar police. She should have informed district authorities about this which was her moral duty,” said Gupta.

Issuing this notice to Soha Sultan, the administration has asked why her license should not be cancelled and she has to submit her original arms license in District Magistrate Office within 15 days.

If no reply is received, “it will be presumed that she has nothing to say and district administration would take appropriate action under law,” said Gupta, who is also District Magistrate.

The whole matter was brought to light after Gurgaon administration received an RTI application from Naresh Kadyan, president of People for Animal’s Haryana.