Shooter’s kin under scanner in ‘Made in Italy’ ammo supply case
The interstate arms syndicate member arrested in Meerut on Tuesday claimed that the seized ammunition was supplied by Subash Rana and Shaksham Malik, linked to Jaspal Rana’s Dehradun-based shooting institute.
The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has uncovered the alleged involvement of two individuals, including the younger brother of an ace international shooter, in supplying ammunition to criminal gangs. This came to light after a large cache of foreign-made cartridges was seized from a member of an interstate firearms syndicate in Meerut, senior STF officials confirmed on Thursday.
The STF’s Meerut unit on Tuesday arrested Rashid Ali, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, who was identified as part of a network engaged in illegal arms and ammunition trade. A total of 1,975 ‘Made in Italy’ 12-bore cartridges were recovered from him. During interrogation, Ali named Subash Rana and Saksham Malik, linked to the Dehradun-based Rana Institute of Shooting Sports, run by renowned international shooter Jaspal Rana.
The institute’s mobile and landline numbers were unreachable, as both were switched off when Hindustan Times attempted to contact them for clarification.
STF Meerut additional superintendent of police (ASP) Brijesh Kumar Singh stated that while Ali named Subash Rana—allegedly Jaspal Rana’s younger brother—in connection with the case, their direct role in the supply chain is yet to be confirmed. A team has been assigned to trace the legal source of the recovered cartridges, which are believed to have originated from the Dehradun shooting institute.
“Further notices will be sent to the shooting academy, and individuals named by the arrested accused will be called for questioning if the cartridges are confirmed to have originated from the institute,” said ASP Singh.
An FIR has been registered at Pallav Puram police station against Saksham Malik, his accomplice Shaurya Malik, Subash Rana, and one Guddu Chacha, in addition to Rashid Ali. The case has been filed under Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 61 (1-A) for illegal possession of ammunition, along with sections 3, 5, and 25(1)(H) of the Arms Act, 1959.
According to the STF, Ali, who also operates a cab service, disclosed that he was approached by Malik and Rana to deliver a consignment of cartridges to an unidentified individual outside SD Global Hospital near Chahat Nursery in Meerut. He was arrested at the delivery spot on Tuesday afternoon. The accused allegedly used his cab as a front for transporting illegal firearms and ammunition.
Further investigations revealed that Ali had previously delivered arms and ammunition across multiple locations. In October 2024, he reportedly supplied 17 firearms—including five single-barrel guns and 12 double-barrel guns—along with 700 cartridges of .315 bore to a contact named Rohan in Meerut’s Kankarkheda area.