Ranga-Billa Case, The True Story Behind ‘Raakh’, Geeta’s Killers’ Arrest And What Happened After

Raakh has brought the chilling Ranga-Billa case back into the limelight. The horrifying incident left everyone shocked. The Amazon Prime Video series stars Ali Fazal and Sonali Bendre and follows the harrowing 1978 incident that left a family heartbroken and the entire country in shock. The kidnapping and murder of Delhi siblings, Geeta Chopra and Sanjay Chopra, till this day remains one of the most twisted chapters in India’s history, and with the series revisiting the subject, the intrigue about what happened has further grown. So, as viewers binge-watch the show, let’s take a look at what happened to the kidnappers, Ranga and Billa, after the long chase and their arrest.

The disappearance of Geeta and Sanjay Chopra

The 1978 case followed the disappearance of siblings, Sanjay and Geeta Chopra. According to a report by NDTV, the case began on August 26, 1978, after Geeta, who was 16 at the time and Sanajy, who was 13, went missing. Indian Navy officer, Captain Madan Mohan Chopra’s children were travelling to the All India Radio station on that evening, as Geeta was scheduled to participate in the popular Yuva Vani programme. However, heavy rainfall reportedly disrupted travel that evening. Seeing the bad weather, the kids accepted a lift partway from Dr MS Nanda and were dropped off near Gole Dak Khana, a little farther from the radio station.

However, even after hours, they never arrived at the station. The family found out that their children were missing when they tuned in to Geeta’s programme and heard someone else’s voice on air. Concerned about what had happened, Captain Chopra called All India Radio only to find out that the kids had never reached the station. This led to a frantic search, but for about two days, there was no sign of the missing children. However, on August 28, 1978, it was reported that their bodies were discovered in a forested area by a cattle grazer.

A post-mortem examination was soon conducted, which reportedly revealed multiple stab wounds on both victims. Investigators concluded that the children had been killed with a sharp-edged weapon. The brutality horrified the public, and the case became a national issue, with extensive news coverage and pressure mounting on authorities to identify and arrest those responsible.

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How were Ranga and Billa caught?

The investigation soon led to two suspects, Kuljeet Singh, known as Ranga, and Jasbir Singh, known as Billa. According to reports, they remained on the run for almost two weeks before their arrest on September 8, 1978, after they boarded the Kalka Mail train heading towards Delhi. The two criminals had mistakenly entered a compartment reserved for military personnel. As soon as they entered the compartment, Lance Naik Gurtej Singh and AV Shetty reportedly asked them to show identification. Their nervous behaviour immediately raised suspicions.

The reports revealed that one of the suspects asked the other to produce an identity card that was already filled out, making the soldiers even more suspicious. At that moment, Gurtej Singh, who was carrying a Hindi newspaper, noticed a strong resemblance between one of the men and the picture of the most wanted fugitives published in the paper. This led the soldiers to keep a close watch on the pair and hand them over to the police when the train arrived in Delhi at around 3:30 AM.

What happened to Ranga and Billa?

Ranga and Billa were allegedly charged with kidnapping and murder upon their arrest, with the trial attracting enormous public attention. They were eventually convicted and sentenced to death. They appealed to the court about the death penalty. However, Tut was later dismissed, and the death sentences were upheld. According to reports, the two were executed at Tihar Jail in 1982, bringing an end to one of the most widely followed criminal cases in Indian history. 

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