Raakh Revisits the 1978 Ranga-Billa Case That Shook India

The release of *Raakh* on Prime Video has renewed public attention on one of the most disturbing criminal cases in India’s history, bringing a tragedy from 1978 back into contemporary discussion through a dramatized crime series inspired by real events.

Starring Ali Fazal and Sonali Bendre, the show is set in late-1970s Delhi and explores the aftermath of a brutal crime that leaves families devastated and a city gripped by fear. The series premiered on Prime Video on June 12 and has drawn interest because of its connection to the widely remembered Ranga-Billa case involving the deaths of Delhi siblings Geeta Chopra and Sanjay Chopra.

Created by Sandeep Saket and Anusha Nandakumar, and directed and executive-produced by Prosit Roy, *Raakh* follows Sub-Inspector Jayprakash, played by Ali Fazal, as he navigates the impact of a violent crime on a shaken community. Sonali Bendre portrays a school teacher and grieving mother struggling to cope with loss.

While the series takes a fictionalized approach, its central inspiration comes from a case that dominated national headlines nearly five decades ago and continues to be revisited through books, documentaries and screen adaptations.

According to reports cited by NDTV, the case began on August 26, 1978. Geeta Chopra, 16, and her younger brother Sanjay Chopra, 13, were the children of Indian Navy officer Captain Madan Mohan Chopra. The family lived in Delhi’s Dhaula Kuan area.

That evening, Geeta was scheduled to participate in the Yuva Vani programme on All India Radio. Sanjay accompanied her on the trip. Heavy rainfall reportedly affected travel conditions across the city. After receiving a lift for part of the journey from Dr Ms Nanda, the siblings were dropped near Gole Dak Khana, still some distance from the radio station.

Concern grew later that evening when the family tuned in to listen to Geeta’s scheduled appearance and heard another voice on the programme instead. Captain Chopra subsequently went to the radio station and learned that neither of his children had arrived.

The disappearance triggered an immediate search. For the next two days, there was no information about the whereabouts of the siblings.

The search came to a tragic end on August 28, when a cattle grazer reportedly discovered their bodies in a forested area. News of the discovery quickly spread, drawing widespread public attention and deep concern across the country.

Post-mortem examinations, according to the report, found multiple stab wounds on both victims. Investigators concluded that the children had been killed with a sharp-edged weapon. The severity of the crime intensified public scrutiny and increased pressure on authorities to identify those responsible.

The case went on to become one of the most remembered criminal investigations in India, leaving a lasting impression on public consciousness and influencing conversations around children’s safety for years afterward.

With *Raakh* now streaming, the story has once again entered public discussion, introducing a new generation of viewers to a case that remains deeply embedded in India’s collective memory.