The Geeta Chopra kidnapping case remains one of the most
tragic and shocking crimes in India’s history. Geeta Chopra, a 16-year-old
second-year student at Jesus and Mary College in New Delhi, and her younger
brother Sanjay, a 14-year-old Class 10 student at Modern School, were the
children of Captain Madan Mohan Chopra, an officer in the Indian Navy. The
family lived in the Officers’ Enclave at Dhaula Kuan.
On 26 August 1978, the siblings were scheduled to
participate in Yuva Vani, a youth program aired by All India Radio (AIR). They
were expected to reach the AIR office on Sansad Marg by 7 p.m., and their
father planned to pick them up after the program ended at 9 p.m.
The two left their home in the evening. As they made their
way, a witness named Kula Nand spotted them at Dhaula Kuan, and soon after,
another man, M.S. Nanda, offered them a lift to Gole Dak Khana since it had
begun to drizzle. Soon after, a mustard-colored Fiat car drew attention near
Gole Dak Khana. Bhagwan Dass, a passerby, noticed commotion inside the car. He saw
a girl pulling the driver’s hair and a boy struggling with another man seated
in the front. Despite attempts by Dass and others, including Babu Lal who tried
to grab the car door, the vehicle sped away toward Willingdon Hospital. Dass
promptly informed the police, but an error in recording the car’s license plate
delayed action.
Another eyewitness, Inderjeet Singh, a junior engineer, also
saw the siblings resisting their captors in the same car near Willingdon
Hospital. He even noticed Sanjay showing his injured shoulder while pleading
for help. Singh followed the car until it ran a red light and escaped. He
reported the correct license plate number to the police, but bureaucratic
delays and jurisdictional issues meant no immediate intervention was made.
Back at home, the Chopras tuned in to AIR at 8 p.m. only to
discover that their children had not appeared on the show. Assuming a mix-up,
Captain Chopra went to AIR at 8:45 p.m., where he learned the siblings had
never arrived. Panic set in as the family realized the children were missing.
Meanwhile, around 10:15 p.m., the kidnappers, later
identified as Kuljeet Singh alias Ranga and Jasbir Singh alias Billa, went to
Willingdon Hospital. Billa had sustained a head injury, and while seeking
treatment, they used false names and concocted a story about being attacked by
thieves. Their presence left behind critical evidence, including fingerprints
on a skull skiagraph. Suspicious of their account, the police asked them to
accompany them to the alleged crime spot. When nothing was found, the men were
released but asked to report back the next day. They never did, and subsequent
investigation revealed that the personal details and addresses they had given
were false.
Although the motive behind the abduction was ransom, the
kidnappers decided to kill the children after discovering that their father was
a naval officer, assuming he would not be able to pay a substantial amount.
Both men were later arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to death. Their
execution was carried out in 1982.
The tragic case exposed both the courage of the Chopra
siblings, who resisted fiercely, and the lapses in the police response that
could have changed the outcome. Their abduction and subsequent murder shocked
the nation, leading to widespread outrage and ultimately inspiring the creation
of bravery awards in their memory, including the Geeta Chopra Award.
