- The 1978 kidnapping and murder of Geeta and Sanjay Chopra inspired the series Raakh
- Geeta and Sanjay disappeared after accepting a lift in heavy rain in New Delhi
- Their bodies were found with multiple stab wounds two days after their disappearance
The upcoming series Raakh draws inspiration from one of India's most chilling criminal cases, the 1978 kidnapping and murder of siblings Geeta Chopra and Sanjay Chopra, a crime that came to be known across the country as the Ranga-Billa case.
Nearly five decades later, the case continues to haunt public memory, not only because of the brutality of the crime but also because it fundamentally altered how Indians viewed the safety of children in public spaces.
The Evening That Changed Everything
The story begins with Geeta Chopra, 16, and her younger brother Sanjay Chopra, 13, the children of Indian Navy officer Captain Madan Mohan Chopra, who lived with his family in Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi.
On August 26, 1978, Geeta and Sanjay left home for what was supposed to be a routine evening. Geeta, a second-year student at Jesus and Mary College, was scheduled to participate in the popular Yuva Vani programme on All India Radio at 8 pm. Sanjay was accompanying her.
Heavy rain lashed Delhi that evening. Unable to walk the entire distance to the radio station, the siblings accepted a lift from Dr MS Nanda, who dropped them near Gole Dak Khana, about a kilometre away from their destination.
They never reached All India Radio.
At around 9 pm, when the Chopra family tuned into the radio expecting to hear Geeta's voice, they heard someone else instead.
Alarmed, Captain Chopra immediately went to the station to pick up the children. There, he received shocking news: Geeta and Sanjay had never arrived.
Family members contacted friends, relatives and acquaintances, hoping the siblings had changed plans. No one had seen them.
The police were informed, and a search operation began.
A Grim Discovery
For two agonising days, there was no trace of the children.
Then, on August 28, 1978, a cattle grazer discovered two bodies in a jungle. The parents were called to identify the victims.
The bodies were those of Geeta and Sanjay Chopra.
The news sent shockwaves across the country. The disappearance of two children from the national capital had already generated concern. The discovery of their bodies transformed that concern into national outrage.
The Brutality Of The Crime
Post-mortem examinations were conducted on August 29.
According to newspaper reports published on August 30, 1978, both bodies bore multiple stab wounds and showed signs of decomposition. Medical examinations concluded that the deaths were caused by injuries inflicted with a sharp-edged weapon.
The estimated time of death was placed between the evening of August 26 and midnight that night.
Sanjay Chopra's body reportedly bore 25 stab wounds, many of them on his arms, suggesting he had fought his attackers fiercely. Known to be a talented boxer, investigators believed he resisted until the very end.
Geeta Chopra sustained multiple stab wounds to her chest, head and hand, along with a deep wound across her neck.
The brutality of the attack horrified the nation.
Questions regarding sexual assault became one of the most discussed aspects of the investigation and trial. During the post-mortem examination, doctors noted that Geeta Chopra's body was in a state of decomposition. As a result, medical experts were unable to arrive at a definitive conclusion on whether she had been sexually assaulted. The accused initially made statements admitting to the assault before later retracting them, making the issue one of the most debated aspects of the case.
How The Police Tracked The Killers
Investigators eventually received a crucial lead.
Geeta and Sanjay did not go down without a fight. The siblings reportedly injured their attackers during the struggle so severely that they had to seek medical attention. That visit to a hospital eventually became a key clue for investigators.
The hunt for the culprits intensified, and the case dominated newspaper headlines across India.
The suspects, Kuljeet Singh, known as Ranga, and Jasbir Singh, known as Billa, remained on the run for nearly two weeks.
Their arrest came through an extraordinary stroke of vigilance.
The Arrest Of Ranga-Billa
On September 8, 1978, Ranga-Billa boarded the Kalka Mail bound for Delhi after getting onto the train near Agra.
Their mistake was entering a compartment reserved for military personnel.
When Lance Naik Gurtej Singh and AV Shetty asked them to produce identification, their behaviour aroused suspicion. According to accounts from the time, one of the men told the other to show an identification card that had already been filled out.
The soldiers became suspicious.
Coincidentally, Gurtej Singh had with him a copy of a Hindi newspaper carrying the photograph of one of India's most wanted fugitives. The resemblance was striking.
When the train reached Delhi at around 3.30 am, the two suspects were handed over to police.
Authorities recovered items including a kirpan, a live .32 bore cartridge and bloodstained clothing.
The arrest marked a major breakthrough in a case that had gripped the nation.
The Trial And Death Sentences
Ranga-Billa were charged with kidnapping and murder.
An Additional Sessions Judge in Delhi convicted both men and sentenced them to death. They were also awarded prison terms under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Both convicts challenged their convictions before the Delhi High Court.
The High Court heard the appeals while also considering the mandatory confirmation of the death sentences under criminal procedure requirements. Ultimately, the convictions and death penalties were upheld.
The case went on to become one of the most widely followed criminal trials in India.
The execution of Ranga-Billa at Tihar Jail later became a significant chapter in the prison's history. Former jail official Sunil Gupta has often spoken about how their hanging was among the most high-profile executions carried out at the prison.
Why The Case Shook India
The Geeta and Sanjay Chopra case unfolded in an era when children often travelled on their own and strangers were generally trusted. Accepting a lift from an unfamiliar person was not seen as particularly risky. The tragedy shattered that sense of innocence and became a turning point in how Indians viewed the safety of their children.
The kidnapping and murder of two teenagers in the heart of the national capital created widespread fear and anger. The case received unprecedented media attention and sparked conversations about public safety, policing, crimes against children and the criminal justice system.
Public pressure on authorities was immense, and the investigation became one of the most closely followed criminal cases in the country.
For years afterward, the names Geeta and Sanjay Chopra remained synonymous with innocence lost and a society confronting new fears about crime.
The Legacy Of The Ranga-Billa Case
Almost five decades later, the Ranga-Billa case remains one of India's most remembered criminal cases.
It is a story of two siblings who left home for what should have been an ordinary evening, only for their disappearance and murder to become a national tragedy.
The case continues to be revisited through books, documentaries and now series such as Raakh, which draws inspiration from the events that unfolded in August 1978.
Also Read | Ali Fazal, Sonali Bendre-Led Thriller Raakh Will Stream On Prime Video From June 12
