National Bravery Award Ranga and Billa abducted Geeta and Sanjay, children of naval officer Madan Chopra in 1978. Both were brutally murdered. Then Geeta was 16 years old and Sanjay was 14 years old. Read the story of Geeta Chopra-Sanjay Chopra Gallantry Award.
President Draupadi Murmu felicitates brave children
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet 11 brave children today. These children of 5 to 18 years were awarded by President Draupadi Murmu yesterday. Every year the Government of India awards brave and talented children in many categories. Which also includes Geeta Chopra and Sanjay Chopra award for brave children.
Why Geeta Chopra and Sanjay Chopra awards are given to brave children, there is a scary story behind it. Even today one’s soul trembles after reading and listening to its story. Geeta Chopra-Sanjay Chopra murder case is one of the most brutal murder case of the country. Both were brother and sister in the relationship. The father of both was Madan Chopra, a naval officer. He had his own status. He lived in Dhaula Kuan in South Delhi.
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Kidnap in the middle of Delhi
Geeta Chopra used to study commerce in Jesus and Mary College while Sanjay Chopra used to practice boxing along with his 10th standard studies in Modern School. It is about 26 August 1978 when Geeta had to participate in a singing program. His program was to be live on air from radio at 8 pm. Her brother also went along with Geeta.
Both brothers and sisters were standing near New Delhi’s Gol Post Office waiting for a taxi. Then Ranga and Billa came there and kidnapped both of them on the pretext of giving lift. When the family members turned on the radio to listen to their program at 8 pm, their voices could not be heard because both could not reach Akashvani. He had been kidnapped on the way.
carried out murder and rape
Ranga’s real name was Kuljit Singh and Billa’s real name was Jasbir Singh. Both the children sitting in Ranga-Billa’s car shouted loudly on the way. Only then the people who heard the voices of the screaming child on the way, informed the police and told the number of the vehicle. Ranga-Billa first brutally killed Sanjay Chopra on the way and then took Geeta to the ridge area and raped her and killed her too.
Here there was a disturbance in the family. First went to All India Radio. Then reached Dhaula Kuan police station. However, information about the kidnapping of two children had already reached the police. But for the first time, Madan Chopra was disappointed here, then some more officers of the Navy reached there in his support. Then the police came into action. 140 policemen started a search operation in different parts of Delhi with 30 different vehicles.
Ranga Billa could not escape
After the uproar in Delhi over the murder, Ranga-Billa fled to Mumbai but could not escape from the clutches of the law. Both were arrested. After his arrest, the case against him went on for a long time. From the Sessions Court to the High Court, the case reached the Supreme Court, but the death sentence could not be commuted. Even the then President Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy rejected the mercy petition of both.
finally hanged
Ranga-Billa was hanged on 31 January 1982. But before this, in 1978, the Indian Council for Child Welfare announced the Sanjay Chopra Award and Geeta Chopra Award for brave children under the age of 16 years. Since then, this gallantry award is given every year before Republic Day.
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