The tragic case of Sneha Debnath, a 19-year-old student from Tripura studying at Delhi University, has ended in sorrow with the recovery of her body from the Yamuna River after six days of being missing. Sneha was a second-year B.Sc. Mathematics student at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, and resided in Delhi’s Paryavaran Complex with her family.
She had last been seen on July 7, after leaving home early in the morning reportedly to drop a friend, Pitunia, at Sarai Rohilla Railway Station. However, her friend later confirmed that they never met. The cab driver, Subhe Chandra, who had picked her up, told the family that he had dropped her off at Signature Bridge in Wazirabad.
After Sneha’s phone was found switched off around 8:45 a.m., her sister Bipasha Debnath filed a missing complaint. The family suspected foul play as no trace of her was found at the drop-off point. Poor CCTV coverage in the area severely hampered efforts to track her final movements. Eyewitnesses later claimed to have seen a girl standing on the bridge that morning, raising suspicions of a possible suicide.
A massive search operation was launched by Delhi Police and the NDRF, covering a 7-km stretch from Nigam Bodh Ghat to Noida, but no immediate results were found. Her body was finally recovered on July 13 near the Geeta Colony area in East Delhi.
A note shared by the family suggests that Sneha had expressed suicidal intent, though it remains unclear what led her to such a decision. There has been no confirmation of foul play so far, but investigations are ongoing.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha had taken prompt note of her disappearance and issued directives for swift action, emphasizing the state government's concern for the safety of its citizens, even outside its borders.
Sneha’s untimely death has sent shockwaves through her community, both in Tripura and Delhi. The incident raises concerns over student mental health, urban safety, and the urgent need for better surveillance infrastructure at critical public spots like Signature Bridge.
Authorities are expected to continue their probe to conclusively determine the circumstances surrounding her death.
