Despite his phenomenal success in the cricketing arena, he has been candid about his passion for football. Mahendra Singh Dhoni showed the Jharkhand Police on Sunday that his 'dodging' skills were still intact. So what if he was under round-the-clock surveillance.
Dhoni sneaked past the tight security cordon, part of the Z-category cover provided to him, to pay a surprise visit to former schoolmate Chittu, just about a kilometre or two away from his residence.
While the old buddies "enjoyed" each other's company, jittery police officials went into an overdrive trying to locate him.
If Chittu was "awestruck" at seeing Mahi at his doorstep with his trademark smile, police were dumbstruck by the security lapse.
They were tight-lipped when queried how Dhoni could slip past the posse of personnel, that too, when he went out on his 1200cc Harley Davidson.
"Dhoni is not habituated to his new status (Z-category cover). I did have a talk with him afterwards.
“He says it not only irritates him but also curtails his freedom in his hometown where he has always been a free bird. We tried convincing him about his status and the threat perception. His mother and sister too have tried to make him understand," Ranchi SSP M.S. Bhatia told the Hindustan Times.
Police sources said Dhoni wondered why Naxalites would want to kill him. The skipper even argued that he had not gone to a crowded place like a market or cinema hall.
{{/usCountry}}Police sources said Dhoni wondered why Naxalites would want to kill him. The skipper even argued that he had not gone to a crowded place like a market or cinema hall.
{{/usCountry}}"Unlike other VIPs, we don't have Dhoni's itinerary in advance.
“On Saturday, he had informed the personnel about his day's plans.
“Today, we had no such intimation but that is not to say there wasn't a security lapse. Dhoni has promised to stick to security guidelines in future," Bhatia said.
Dhoni had gone to Ranchi University on Saturday to meet his former coach Jai Kumar Sinha, whom he gifted a bat and then proceeded to a highway restaurant with his friends.
Jharkhand Police had been outsmarted even last year when Dhoni had given them the slip to reach a sporting venue.