Dhoni in Ranchi. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, Jan. 15: First, it was chief minister Shibu Soren. And now Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has found another friend who wants to gift him a pistol.

Former Bihar chief secretary Saran Singh has written to the state government expressing his desire in case Dhoni, who has applied for the prohibitory bore 9mm pistol licence, is allowed to have one.

In a letter addressed to state chief secretary A.K. Basu, the former Bihar chief secretary said he had learnt through media reports that Dhoni had applied for the licence and wanted the 9mm pistol for personal use. “While I was in service, I had received the pistol as a gift. I am now too old to use the pistol, which is also of no use to me,” he wrote. Expressing his desire to gift his pistol to Dhoni, Singh, pointed out in his letter that the weapon was lying unused with him for several years.

Singh, residing in Calcutta at present, was also the editor of The Sikh Review after retiring from service. In June last year, he was presented the lifetime service award for publishing the journal. The former chief secretary also held the post of president of the Ashoknagar Housing Co-operative Society, Ranchi, in the early Seventies.

In Jharkhand, Dhoni has the highest security cover, officially described as the Z-category. Since his promotion as the Twenty20 skipper, Dhoni was granted Y-category security by the state government. Earlier this month, it was upgraded to the Z category, following life threats.

In addition to the security, Dhoni was granted a non-prohibitory bore licence, which he has been enjoying since 2006. However, the Indian skipper has now applied for a prohibitory bore license for a 9mm pistol. According to rules, the licence is issued by the Union home ministry under special circumstances only. His application for the new licence is currently under consideration by the Centre.

The state chief secretary, when contacted, confirmed receiving the letter. “The letter has now been forwarded to the state home department for verification and necessary action,” he added.

Earlier, chief minister Shibu Soren had also gone on record to stress that in case Dhoni’s application for a special arms licence was cleared by the Union home ministry, he would gift the 9mm pistol to him.