The Geeta and Sanjay Chopra kidnapping case (also known as the Ranga-Billa case) was a

kidnapping Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...

and

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

crime in

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

in 1978. It involved the kidnapping and subsequent murder of siblings Geeta and Sanjay by Kuljeet Singh ( alias Ranga Khus) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa). Although the children were kidnapped for

ransom Ransom refers to the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release. It also refers to the sum of money paid by the other party to secure a captive's freedom. When ransom means "payment", the word ...

, they were killed after the kidnappers learned that their father was a naval officer, in the assumption that he was not wealthy. Both men initially admitted to raping Geeta before her murder. They later retracted their statements and forensic evidence could not confirm the rape. The two kidnappers were convicted and

sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...

. The

execution Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in ...

was carried out in 1982. Crime Patrol Dial 100 aired two episodes on

Sony TV Sony Television, Sony TV, or Sony HD may refer to any of the following television-related products from Japanese conglomerate Sony: * Television sets designed and manufactured by Sony Corporation in Japan ** Trinitron, television hardware brand (196 ...

based on the story, 723 and 724 on 28 February 2018 and 1 March 2018. The case was also shown on the TV series

Bhanwar Bhanwar may refer to: * ''Bhanwar'' (film), a 1976 Indian film * ''Bhanwar'' (1998 TV series), an Indian television docudrama series * ''Bhanwar'' (2020 TV series), an Indian sci-fi thriller series {{dab ...

and 2025 netflix series ''

Black Warrant An execution warrant (also called a death warrant or a black warrant) is a writ that authorizes the execution of a condemned person. United States In the United States, either a judicial or executive official designated by law issues an ...

'', which was based on real-life court cases.

Kidnapping

Geeta Chopra was a 16½-year-old 2nd year student in the

Jesus and Mary College Jesus and Mary College (JMC) is a women-only college of the University of Delhi located in New Delhi, India. The college offers bachelor's degrees in Commerce, Arts, and Mathematics. The college offers honours degrees in Elementary Education, H ...

. Her brother, Sanjay, was 14-year-old student in the 10th standard of the Modern School. Their father, Madan Mohan Chopra, was a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the

Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...

. They lived in the Officer's Enclave in

Dhaula Kuan Dhaula Kuan () is a major intersection of roads in Delhi, India. The name also now refers to the neighbourhood surrounding the intersection. Intersection Five major thoroughfares in Delhi meet at Dhaula Kuan. Passing through the intersect ...

. On Saturday 26 August 1978, Geeta and Sanjay were supposed to participate in a radio programme called the ''Yuva Vani'' on

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

. They were to reach the All India Radio office on the

Sansad Marg Sansad Marg (, formerly ''N-Block'') is a street located in New Delhi, India. The street gets its name from the Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan). The old Parliament House, designed by Sir Herbert Baker, is located at the one end of Sansad Mar ...

by 7 pm. Their father was supposed to pick them up outside the All India Radio after programme at 9 pm. The siblings left their house at 6:15 pm. A man, Kula Nand saw them at the

roundabout A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...

at Dhaula Kuan. A man named M. S. Nanda gave the children a lift from Dhaula Kuan to Gole Dak Khana as it was drizzling. At 6:30 pm, Bhagwan Dass had noticed a mustard colour Fiat car, while traveling from Gurudwara Bangla Sahib towards North Avenue, near the yoga ashram at Gole Dak Khana. He heard noises coming from the car, so he stopped his scooter and approached the vehicle. He saw a girl pulling the hair of the driver and a boy fighting the passenger by the driver. Dass could not stop the car and it sped away towards

Willingdon Hospital Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (formerly known as Willingdon Hospital) is a hospital in New Delhi, India, operated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (fo ...

. Several other people had tried to stop the car. One man named Babu Lal, dropped his bicycle and tried to grab the door handle of the car, but failed. Dass reported this to the police. At 6:45 pm, he called the

police control room In the United Kingdom, an emergency control centre or emergency communications centre (ECC) is a building or room where control room operators receive incoming telephone calls from members of the public in need of assistance. Callers make initial c ...

and told them the license number of the car as HRK 8930, but it was noted by the operator as MRK 8930. Dass also reported that the girl was screaming for help. Inderjeet Singh, a junior engineer in the

Delhi Development Authority The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is a statutory body established under the Delhi Development Act, 1957, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India to "promote and secure the development of Del ...

returning home from work on his scooter, saw the car on Baba Kharak Singh Marg near the casualty block of the Willingdon Hospital. He noticed a girl and a boy sitting in the rear struggling with the driver and another man. He drove up and lined up with the running car. The boy showed his bleeding shoulder to Inderjeet Singh and waved his hands at him pleading for help. Inderjeet followed the car onto Shankar road. But he lost the car when it jumped a red light at a traffic crossing at 6:45 pm. Inderjeet noted the correct number of the car and reported it to the

Rajendra Nagar, Delhi Rajendra Nagar (often spelled unofficially as 'Rajender Nagar' or 'Rajinder Nagar'
The police were slow in their reaction as they considered it a

cognisable offence Cognisable offence and non-cognisable offence are classifications of crime used in the legal system of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Non-cognisable offences includes misbehavior, public annoyance etc., while cognisable offences are ...

and that it was outside their jurisdiction as they could not proceed without taking permission from the Meerut High Court. At 8 pm, their parents tuned in to the radio to listen to their children on the programme, but another girl had been given the slot. The parents assumed that they had tuned in to the wrong station or that the programme had been cancelled. Their father took his scooter from home at 8:45 pm to reach the radio office. He did not find his children at the appointed place. He was told at the office that the children did not arrive. The father called home to ask if the children had reached home; their mother replied in the negative. Their father returned home and called his relatives and friends to ask if the children were with them. At 10:15 pm, the kidnappers went to the Willingdon Hospital in a car with the number DHI 280, as one of them, Billa, had acquired a cut on his head. The hospital had taken a skiagraph of his skull. One of them left a

fingerprint A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfa ...

on the skiagraph, which matched perfectly with the culprit after he was apprehended. On being asked, they gave the doctors false names and said they were hurt by some thieves. The constable on duty at the hospital, Ranbir Singh, took their statement in which they said they were attacked near Kali mandir on Bangla Sahib road, their watch was stolen, and the injury was from an iron rod. Ranbir Singh informed the Mandir Marg police station. At 10:50 pm, two policemen dispatched from the Mandir Marg station to further question them arrived at the hospital. At 11:10 pm, the two decided to leave against doctors' advice. The two policemen, Sub-Inspector Ram Chander and Constable Harish Ram, asked them to accompany them to the spot where they were supposedly robbed. They took them to the spot in their car. Chander failed to find signs of struggle. They asked the duo to take them back to the station. At 1:45 am, they left the station, but they were asked to report again in the morning. When they did not, Chander went to their addresses, but found them to be false. Chander inquired with the Regional Transport Office and found the vehicle number belonged to a scooter.

Investigation and media attention

The

forwarded the report from Dass to Mandir Marg police station. The report was given to

sub-inspector Sub-inspector (SI), or sub-inspector of police or police sub-inspector (PSI), is a rank used extensively in South Asia: in the police forces of Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, which are primarily based on the British model. It was form ...

Om Prakash at 7:05 pm. He went to the Gole Dak Khana to search for witnesses but could not find any. He returned to the station at 9:55 pm. Inderjeet's report had invoked no response. At 10:15 pm, the father called the police and gave them the descriptions of the children. The father searched places where the children might have possibly gone to, including the Willingdon Hospital and returned home at 11:30 pm. The bodies were discovered by a cowherd, Dhani Ram, grazing his cows in Delhi Ridge on 28 August 1978, at 6 pm. The cowherd reported the bodies to a patrolling constable, Rohtas Singh, at 12:00 am. Sub-inspector Hari Chand was sent to the site. The parents were called to the site to identify the bodies. They identified them as their children. The

autopsy An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...

was conducted by the police surgeon, Bharat Singh, on 29 August. He found the bodies to be in an advanced stage of decomposition. He could not establish sexual assault of the girl due to the decomposition. He found multiple stab wounds and a broken jaw on the girl. He confirmed multiple stab wounds on the boy. The father decided to go to the media. Some newspapers carried photographs. On seeing such the news, Admiral M. S. Nanda gave his statement. The police in course of their investigation suspected the duo to be involved. They released the photos to the press and a monetary reward was announced. The

Mumbai Police The Greater Mumbai Police (Marathi language, Marathi: बृहन्मुंबई पोलीस, IAST: ''Brihanmumbaī Pulīs'', formerly ''Bombay City Police'') is the Police, police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a cit ...

was informed. On 31 August, a car matching the kidnapping vehicle was found in Majlis Park with the number, DHD 7034. A car had been reported missing of the same make, but number DEA 1221, so the police called the owner Ashok Sharma. The car had been stolen from outside the Ashoka Hotel within six weeks of its purchase. Sharma was able to open the car with his keys. The

stereo Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configurat ...

and speakers were missing. The car's white

grille Grill or grille may refer to: Food * Barbecue grill, a device or surface used for cooking food, usually fuelled by gas or charcoal, or the part of a cooker that performs this function * Flattop grill, a cooking device often used in restaurants, ...

had been replaced with a black one. Two witnesses who lived in the area later said they had seen a man driving the car and he had asked them for directions. The car was examined by investigators from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory. Several fingerprints were obtained from the car. A cigarette butt and hair samples were found and taken. Bloodstains were discovered. Plates with the numbers DEA 1221, HRF 5411, and HRK 8930 were found in the car. In the lab, it was found that one of the plates originally had the number DHI 280 but it had been painted over. Similarly, another number DHD 3548 was found. Some soil samples taken from the floor mat matched the soil samples from the site where the bodies were found. The story got much media attention in India. Then-Prime Minister

Morarji Desai Morarji Ranchhodji Desai (29 February 1896 – 10 April 1995) was an Indian politician and Indian independence activist, independence activist who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India between 1977 and 1979 leading th ...

took personal interest in the case. The

Janata Party The Janata Party (JP, ) is an unrecognised political party in India. Navneet Chaturvedi is the current president of the party since November 2021, replacing Jaiprakash Bandhu. The JP was established as an amalgam of Indian political partie ...

, which was in power in 1978 Delhi, was criticised for their handling for the case. They lost the subsequent election.

Arrest and interrogation

The kidnappers were arrested on a train a few weeks later on 8 September 1978. On that day, the two kidnappers boarded the

Kalka Mail The 12311 / 12312 Netaji Express (formerly known as Kalka Mail) is one of the oldest running trains in India. This train connects Howrah in Kolkata, capital of the State of West Bengal to Kalka in Haryana. Kalka is the railhead for the Kalka- ...

when it had slowed near the

Yamuna river The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in List of major rivers of India, India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...

bridge near

Agra Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...

. The compartment they entered was reserved for military personnel, so they were asked to show their identity cards. They started a scuffle with the army-men and were suppressed. Lance Naik A. V. Shetty recognised them from a newspaper picture. On 9 September 1978, they were handed over to Inspector V. P. Gupta, at the

New Delhi railway station New Delhi railway station (station code: NDLS) is the primary railway hub for the Indian capital, New Delhi, and an integral part of Indian Railways. Situated in Central Delhi, approximately 2 kilometers north of Connaught Place, the station ...

. They were held in separate non-adjoining cells. On searching their bags, the police found a

sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...

. Their clothes were found to have bloodstains. The doctor examining them found bruises on their arms and bodies, some of which were recent from a scuffle. The doctor found the sutures on Billa's head and estimated it to be 15 days old. A wound on Ranga's forearm was found to be 15 days old. Fingerprints, saliva, blood and hair samples were taken on 12 September. On 13 September, on Billa's directions, they were driven separately to Agra, where the police recovered a sword from a rented room in Sita Nagar where they were staying.

Trial

Confessions

On 22 September, Ranga made a voluntary confession which was recorded by a metropolitan magistrate, but the statement was later retracted on 20 November. On 19 October, Billa gave a similar confession, but retracted it on 27 October. The confessions were later held to be independent as they had been kept in non-adjoining cells.

Evidence

The hair found in the car and on the body of the boy matched that of Ranga. His fingerprints were found in the car. The bloodstains on his shirt belonged to

blood group A blood type (also known as a blood group) is based on the presence and absence of antibodies and inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrates, glycoproteins, or glycoli ...

AB, which was a match with the siblings. Billa's hair was found on the body of the girl, and blood matching his blood group A was found in the car. Blood of group AB was found on his clothes. The signature at the Willingdon Hospital matched that of Billa. The skiagrams of the skulls matched.

Defence and alibi

Both men pleaded not guilty. Billa claimed that he was in

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

from 25 August to 1 September. He said he had acquired the head injury while trying to steal a car in Agripada, Bombay. Billa claimed he was forced to make a false confession. He said he was wanted by the Bombay police for false cases, so he had fled to Delhi with Ranga. They had come to Delhi on 15 August. On 18 August, they went to

Panipat Panipat () is an industrial , located 95 km north of Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-44 in Panipat district, Haryana, India. It is famous for three major battles fought in 1526, 1556 and 1761. The city is also known as ...

where Ranga's sister lived. On 25 August, both left for Bombay. On the 28th, he got his head wound. On 31 August, he left for Delhi, where he was informed by Ranga that they were wanted for the murders. They then tried to hide out in Delhi. They were trying to escape to Madras via Delhi when they were caught by the army men. He claimed he had been tortured by the police to make the confession. Ranga said that the sword was planted on him and that when his clothes were taken from him, they had no bloodstains. They also produced witnesses to establish Billa's

alibi An alibi (, from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person under suspicion in a crime that they were in a different place when the offence was committed. During a police investigation, all suspects are usually a ...

Witnesses

Two doctors from the Willingdon Hospital who examined Billa on the night of 26 August could not positively identify him. The radiographer opined that the original skiagraph of that man matched with the recent skiagraph of Billa's. Sub-inspector Chander could positively identify the two. Sohan Lal, a landlord in Majlis Park, identified and said that they had rented a room from him on 24 August and stayed there till 31 August. He said that he had seen a bandage on Billa's head on 27 August. Another witness, Parkash, the proprietor of hotel in Fatehpur said that he had given the two a room from 16 August to 23 August. Anil Kumar Gupta, who worked in a

guest house A guest house (or guesthouse, also rest house) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), a guest house is a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the e ...

near Gali Telian in Delhi, said he had given them a room from 31 August to 2 September. Susheel Kumar, a

parking attendant A parking enforcement officer (PEO),United State ...

, had charged them for parking at Buddha Jayanti Park. He had noticed a boy and girl in the rear. Avdesh Singh Sharma, a physician from Agra, said he had removed Billa's stitches on 4 September, but Billa had left without paying him.

Verdict and sentence

It was established by the court that the duo had come to Delhi to escape the Bombay police. They arrived in Delhi on 16 August and lived in various places under false names. They had two ceremonial kirpans, one small and a large, and had gotten them sharpened elsewhere. Billa was proficient in stealing cars and had gotten fake number plates painted. He stole a Fiat from outside the Ashoka Hotel. They rented a room in Majlis Park, paid for two months in advance. They picked up the children sometime between 6:30 and 6:40 pm on 26 August. The boy received a wound on his shoulder. At 7:30 pm, the car was parked near the Buddha Jayanti Park. Ranga bought two

ice cream Ice cream is a frozen dessert typically made from milk or cream that has been flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as Chocolate, cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit, such as strawberries or peaches. Food ...

s and three

Campa Cola Campa Cola is a soft drink brand in India. It was a market leader in the Indian soft drink market in the 1970s and 1980s in most regions of India until the advent of the foreign players Pepsi and Coca-Cola after the liberalisation policy of the ...

s. The boy's autopsy established that he had eaten milk product before death. At 9:30 pm, the teenagers were murdered in the woods near the Upper Ridge Road, Delhi. The girl's body was found with her undergarments missing. On 30 August, Ranga abandoned the car in Majlis Park, a few streets away from where they were living. On 31 August, after the police found the car, the duo left despite paying rent for two months.

Events as established from confessions

Although the confessions were considered in the sentencing, they were noted to have certain relevant details. According to Ranga's retracted statement, Ranga was initially a truck driver and later a taxi driver. He was introduced to Billa by one Sham Singh in Bombay. The two had kidnapped a boy in Bombay using Ranga's taxi. Ranga later released the child after keeping him at his house for some time. Sham told him Billa was a well-known criminal who had killed two

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

men. Soon afterwards, Sham was arrested. The duo feared that Sham would reveal their ties to the police. They fled to

Surat Surat (Gujarati Language, Gujarati: ) is a city in the western Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. The word Surat directly translates to ''face'' in Urdu, Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of t ...

in the car with another person. There they left the car and took a bus to

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

. They then took a train to Delhi. On 17 August, they stole a car but abandoned it because it was not in good condition. On 18 August, Ranga went to Panipat to meet his sister for

Raksha Bandhan Raksha Bandhan Quote: m Hindi ''rakśābandhan'' held on the full moon of the month of Savan, when sisters tie a talisman (rakhi q.v.) on the arm of their brothers and receive small gifts of money from them. is a popular and traditionally Hin ...

. On 19 August, they stole another car and changed its plates but abandoned it after finding it had bad acceleration. That day, the car used in the crime was stolen from Ashoka Hotel and they changed its plates. On 23 August, Billa threatened to kill Jugal and another person, Kewal. On 24 August, they rented the house in Majlis Park. They decided that they would kidnap a couple the next day, then force them to take them to their house so they could rob it, but they found no victims while roaming in the car. On 26 August, after roaming all day, they found the siblings and thought them to be from a rich family. They offered them a lift and the children accepted. The children were talking in English. Billa had already loosened the inner door handles; he then pulled them out. The children began quarreling with Billa, who then tried to frighten them with the small

kirpan The kirpan (; pronunciation: Help:IPA/Punjabi, ɪɾpaːn is a blade that Khalsa Sikhs are required to wear as part of their religious uniform, as prescribed by the Rehat, Sikh Code of Conduct. Traditionally, the kirpan was a full-sized '' ...

. The boy tried to snatch the kirpan but was injured. The victims in the struggle managed to stall the car. At one point, Ranga saw a

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

man following them. He suggested dropping off the children and fleeing. Billa refused. They then parked the car in Buddha Jayanti Park. The boy asked for water and was offered cola. He refused but accepted the ice cream on the girl's suggestion. The boy was bought another ice cream. They changed the car number to DHI 280. The children were asked about their parents. They replied their father was a naval officer. Ranga suggested the kids should be let off, as the father probably did not have much money and might try to fight them. Billa told the children that the girl would be used in a robbery in which she would stop a jeweler's car coming from Palam airport, asking for a lift. After that they would be let go. They drove onto an unpaved road and then took the boy about 100

yard The yard (symbol: yd) is an English units, English unit of length in both the British imperial units, imperial and US United States customary units, customary systems of measurement equalling 3 foot (unit), feet or 36 inches. Sinc ...

s away from the vehicle. Ranga was forced by Billa to attack the boy with longer kirpan, about 3 feet long. After one blow Ranga was unable to continue. Billa snatched the kirpan and repeatedly struck the boy. The boy died. While Ranga cleaned the blade, Billa raped the girl. Then Billa asked Ranga to rape the girl, which he did. When the girl was being raped again, she picked up the kirpan and struck Billa's head. The girl ran toward the road, but Ranga caught her. They made her dress and told her they were taking her back to her brother nearby. While she was walking ahead, Billa attacked her from behind and killed her. They washed the car to remove most of the blood. On 28 August, Billa left for Bombay by train. On 30 August, Ranga found that some Bombay policemen were in Delhi. He changed plates and parked the car a few lanes away from his rented place. On 31 August, he saw the police had found the car. Billa returned the same day. They left for Agra on 31 August. Billa's version of the events varied slightly. According to him, they had given the boy

Mandrax Methaqualone is a hypnotic sedative. It was sold under the brand names Quaalude ( ) and Sopor among others, which contained 300 mg of methaqualone, and sold as a combination drug under the brand name Mandrax, which contained 250 mg me ...

tablets to dull his pain from the cuts he received in the scuffle. Billa claimed that the rape of the girl was Ranga's idea. They drove to a deserted place. Ranga took the boy away and Billa raped the girl. Ranga returned alone and raped her. The girl asked about her brother and got suspicious. She attacked Billa with the sword. Ranga snatched the sword away and killed her. Ranga then told Billa he had killed the boy. They then dumped the girl in the bushes and drove away.

Sentencing

Kuljeet Singh ( alias Ranga Kush) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa) were convicted and sentenced to death under Section 302 (murder) of the

Indian Penal Code The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was the official criminal code of the Republic of India, inherited from British India after independence. It remained in force until it was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in December 2023 ...

, read with Section 34 (common intention), by an additional sessions judge in Delhi. They were also convicted for crimes under Section 363 (kidnapping), 365 (kidnapping with unlawful confinement), 366 (kidnapping a woman with intention of sexual intercourse) and 367 (kidnapping with intention to cause hurt), read with Section 34.

Appeals

The convicted challenged the death sentence verdict in the

Delhi High Court The High Court of Delhi ( Hindustani: दिल्ली उच्च न्यायालय; ''dillī uchcha nyāyālaya'') is the high court in Delhi, India. It was established on 31 October 1966, through the ''Delhi High Court Act, 1966. ...

. The High Court upheld the judgement on 16 November 1979. The convicts then petitioned under Article 136 in the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...

, which was turned down. They then petitioned the

president of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...

to use the clemency powers vested in him under Article 72 of the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

. The president turned down the petition without citing reason. They then petitioned the Supreme Court again arguing that the president should use his clemency powers fairly. On 21 April 1981, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentences. These petitions had further delayed their death sentences. The trials took about four years to complete.

Death row interviews and execution

Following the judgement, some journalists petitioned the

Tihar jail Tihar Prisons, popularly known as Tihar Jail, are a prison complex in India and are one of the largest complexes of prisons in India. There are 9 functional prisons spread over more than 400 acres. Run by Department of Delhi Prisons, the prison ...

that they be allowed to interview the death row convicts. The jail authorities rejected the petition on the grounds that their Jail Manual allowed interviews only with relatives, friends and legal advisers. Journalist Prabha Dutt decided to challenge the rejection of interview requests in court. On 7 November 1981, the Supreme Court of India decided that the convicts should be allowed to be interviewed by some journalists, if they were willing. The journalists were granted permission to interview them together, for an hour, and to submit to search before entering the prison. The judgement is considered a landmark in Indian law. On 30 January 1982, five reporters — among them Prabha Dutt of ''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...

'', Prakash Patra of ''

The National Herald ''The National Herald'' is an English-language weekly newspaper, based in New York City, focusing on the Greek-American community. It was founded in 1997 and added a website in 2004. Its headquarters are in the Long Island City neighborhood of th ...

'', and Usha Rai of ''

The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...

'' — were allowed to conduct the interview. The convict interviewed was Jasbir Singh alias Billa, who insisted that he was innocent. Ranga refused to be interviewed. Both were

hanged Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...

on 31 January 1982. Billa was quiet, but Ranga resisted going to the gallows. Their bodies were not claimed by their relatives.

Aftermath

The

Kirti Chakra The Kirti Chakra () is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the ...

was awarded to the children on 5 April 1981. In 1978, the Indian Council for Child Welfare instituted two bravery awards for children under the age of 16, the Sanjay Chopra Award and the Geeta Chopra Award, given each year along with the

National Bravery Award The National Bravery Awards are a set of awards given annually to about 25 Indian children below 18 years of age for "meritorious acts of bravery against all odds." The awards are given by the Government of India and the Indian Council for Chi ...