Raakh on Amazon Prime Video has captivated audiences with its gripping storytelling and edge-of-the-seat twists. As the curtains dropped on the final episode, viewers were left stunned by a climax that lingered long after the credits rolled. While the series has earned praise for its immersive visuals, and compelling narrative, what makes it even more haunting is the fact that it is inspired by a real-life incident that shook Delhi nearly five decades ago.
An innocent Delhi was faced with something so gruesome 48 years ago that the chills of it still linger through the streets of the capital. It was a typical summer evening in 1978, when the streets buzzed with their usual energy and safety was never a concern. However, within hours a dramatic event shook the city to its core.
Two siblings Geeta Chopra, 16, and Sanjay Chopra, 13, children of Indian Navy officer Captain Madan Mohan Chopra, lived in Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi. On the evening of August 26, the children headed out to participate on a radio programme called the Yuva Vani on All India Radio.
At 9 pm their voices were supposed to reach the nation but someone else took over. Soon their worried parents sensed that something was not quite right, so the captain went to the radio station. Reaching there, he heard a chilling revelation: the children had never arrived.
He started to search every place the two could’ve gone and, disappointed with no trace of the duo, police were called. Rigorous searches were carried out across the routes the siblings were believed to have taken, their usual hangout spots, and even the city's outskirts were thoroughly searched. With failed outcomes, finally two days later a lead was found but it was as spine-chilling as it could be. A cattle grazer discovered two badly injured bodies on a field and informed the police. The heartbreaking truth soon became clear: the bodies belonged to Geeta and Sanjay.
As investigation went through, police started to notice similar patterns and names coming up across the country. Also the siblings didn’t go down without a fight. They injured the culprits so bad that they had to make a visit to a nearby hospital and that was the biggest trace. From thereon, the movements of the culprits were followed and finally Kuljeet Singh, known as Ranga, and Jasbir Singh, known as Billa, after remaining on the run for nearly two weeks, were caught.
This incident became a national tragedy not just because of its brutality, but because it occurred in an era built on trust. People would let their children ride with strangers without a second thought, never questioning their safety. What followed did more than shock the nation, it altered the very fabric of society. Trust was shattered, innocence was lost, and the Delhi we know today slowly began to take shape in its aftermath.
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