Thread by @Paperclip_In

Some of you may know of Ranga and Billa as villains from the cinematic world. But as they say, truth is often stranger than fiction – Ranga and Billa are more real than reel and more villainous than they are portrayed to be. 1/21

This story takes us to Delhi in 1978. On August 26, siblings Geeta and Sanjay Chopra(16 and a half and 14 years old) were supposed to participate in a radio program at the All India Radio office in Sansad Marg at 7 pm, but they never made it. 2/21

The events that followed would unleash terror across Delhi. At 6:15 pm the siblings left their home, and a man named M. S. Nanda gave the children a lift from Dhaula Kuan to Gole Dak Khana as it was drizzling. 3/21

In the next half an hour a mustard-colored Fiat car was seen by several witnesses speeding towards Willingdon Hospital with a young boy and girl sitting in the back and struggling with the driver and another man. 4/21

The number plate was noted by a man called Babu Lal as HRK 8930. He reported to the Police control room who wrongly recorded the number as MRK 8930. At 6.45 pm, an engineer reported the same car to Rajendra Nagar PS. 5/21

The parents at this point were still unaware as to what had happened tuned in to the Radio at 8’0 clock and were surprised not to hear Geeta and Sanjay on the radio. Mohan Chopra, their father made his way to the Radio station but the siblings were not there. 6/21

He then searched relatives and friends’ houses. Drawing blanks from everywhere, at 1045 Mr. Chopra who was a naval officer decided to inform the police about the incident. He called the control room and gave a full description of his children and reported they were missing. 7/21

Meanwhile, at 10:15 a couple of men showed up at Willingdon Hospital, one of the men had a cut on his head. On being asked by the doctors as to how the injury occurred the men said that there was a scuffle between them and a couple of thieves. 8/21

The constable on duty noted their statement about the theft and reported it to the Mandir Marg PS. The duo went to the station and left at 1:45 in the night but were asked to report back in the morning to the station, but they never came. 9/21

On 27th August, the news had already spread about the missing siblings and pressure was mounting on Delhi Police. The next day a cowherd Dhani Ram found the bodies of a girl and boy in Delhi Ridge. 10/21

At 1200 am Mr and Mrs. Chopra were called to identify the bodies, which they identified to be off Geeta and Sanjay. The autopsy revealed that the bodies were in advanced stages of decomposition. 11/21

The heinous murder of a couple of teenagers sent shock waves across the capital. Mr. Chopra decided to go to the media which then piled on more pressure on the police and the Delhi government at the time. 12/21

The car matching the description was found and other license plates and forensic evidence in the days to come. After some further investigation, the police were able to zero in on one kidnapper. Jasbir Singh aka Billa. 13/21

On September 8th, 1978 a couple of men boarded the Kalka Mail. But they had accidentally boarded a compartment reserved for military personnel. On being questioned by the soldiers in the compartment a scuffle followed Jasbir and his partner Kuljeet Singh were apprehended. 14/21

The soldiers were able to identify Jasbir from the newspapers that had been carrying his picture. Jasbir’s partner in crime Kuljeet went by his alias Ranga. 15/21

In the trial that followed, it was established that the duo had been working together for some time and had done a similar kidnapping in Bombay. Fleeing Bombay police had made their escape to the National Capital. 16/21

The duo initially had planned to ask for ransom for the siblings. But as it was made clear to them that the Father was a naval officer who might not have that kind of money to satisfy their needs, Billa decided to kill the siblings. 17/21

They took the siblings somewhere near Upper Ridge Road where Billa forced Ranga to kill the boy and then asked him to rape the girl. She tried to escape by hitting Billa in the head but was captured and later killed in the car; their bodies were then dumped in the forest 18/21

The constable was able to identify the duo from the night at the Willingdon Hospital where Billa had gone after receiving a head wound. The duo was sentenced to death by the session court, which was later upheld at the High Court and Supreme Court. 19/21

Both were hanged on January 30,1982. but the case opened a lot of questions of safety and security and put the Delhi police in a difficult spot. Public sentiments were high and the Janata party which was in power at the time in Delhi lost the subsequent elections. 20/21

Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the last instance where Delhi witnessed its share of heinous crimes. Years later, the brutal murder of a young girl would once again raise questions about the laws governing our country and the role of the police entrusted to uphold them. 21/21

Sources: Geeta and Sanjay Chopra murder case: Killers Ranga and Billa arrested, ; indiatoday.in/magazine/crime…
indiankanoon.org/doc/1359524/

Image attributes: @aajtak