Days After Jaspal Rana's Death, India Shooting Legend's Mother Dies
As Jaspal Rana's family continues to grapple with the grief of his sudden passing, another tragedy has struck the household.
The demise of Indian shooting legend Jaspal Rana on June 12 left the entire nation in shock. Widely regarded as one of India's finest pistol shooters, Rana died at the age of 49 due to cardiac complications and his last rites were performed in Varanasi. As his family continues to grapple with the grief of his sudden passing, another tragedy has struck the household. In a deeply unfortunate turn of events, Rana's mother, Shyama Devi Rana, also passed away in Delhi following a prolonged illness, just days after her son's death.
While NDTV could not independently confirm the exact date and time of her passing, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the news.
"We have received the extremely sorrowful news of the passing of Smt. Narayan Singh Rana Ji's wife and the revered mother of the renowned Indian shooter, Padma Shri Late Jaspal Rana Ji. In this hour of grief, my deepest condolences are with the bereaved family. May the Lord grant a place at His divine feet to the departed soul and bestow strength upon the grief-stricken family to bear this unbearable sorrow. Om Shanti," wrote Dhami.
श्री नारायण सिंह राणा जी की धर्मपत्नी एवं प्रसिद्ध भारतीय निशानेबाज, पद्मश्री स्व. जसपाल राणा जी की पूज्य माताजी के निधन का अत्यंत दुःखद समाचार प्राप्त हुआ।
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) June 28, 2026
इस कठिन घड़ी में मेरी गहरी संवेदनाएं शोकाकुल परिजनों के साथ हैं। ईश्वर पुण्यात्मा को अपने श्रीचरणों में स्थान प्रदान करें… pic.twitter.com/KISVtyLqJL
Earlier on June 14, hundreds gathered in Varanasi with tearful eyes to bid a final farewell to Jaspal Rana, whose mortal remains were flown in by air ambulance from Dehradun.
Jaspal made a seamless transition to coaching and played a pivotal role in guiding Manu Bhaker to her historic twin bronze medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
The shooting icon was accorded full state honours before his mortal remains were flown to Varanasi. He received the same honours upon arrival at Manikarnika Ghat, where his son Yuvraj performed the last rites in the presence of Rana's brother Subhash, other family members, members of the shooting fraternity, and people from all walks of life.
Among those present were BJP MLA Pankaj Singh, son of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP state minister Shankar Giri, and other party leaders and workers.
After being flown into Varanasi, Rana's mortal remains were taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, where tributes were paid and a ceremonial salute was accorded.
The body was kept at the airport's air cargo complex for public homage. The mortal remains were later taken by ambulance to Rajghat and then to Manikarnika Ghat via the court area for the last rites.
(With PTI Inputs)