Sneha Debnath, a 19-year-old student at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, Delhi University, who had been missing for six days, was found dead on Sunday evening. Her body was recovered from the Yamuna River near the Geeta Colony flyover by police and rescue teams.
Sneha, a resident of Paryavaran Complex in south Delhi and originally from Sabroom in south Tripura, was reported missing on July 7. A first information report (FIR) was filed at Mehrauli Police Station, prompting an extensive search operation led by Delhi Police and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
According to police, Sneha left behind a handwritten note expressing her intent to jump from the Signature Bridge. Technical surveillance confirmed that she had travelled by cab to the bridge. The driver, along with eyewitnesses, recalled seeing a young woman standing on the bridge before she disappeared.
The massive search effort spanned the Yamuna stretch between Nigam Bodh Ghat and Noida. Her body was finally spotted floating near the Geeta Colony flyover and was later identified by her family.
Investigators also revealed that Sneha had sent emotionally distressed messages to friends via email and messaging apps in the early hours of July 7. Her close friends told police she had been struggling emotionally for months.
Her death has also raised serious concerns about the lack of functional surveillance at the Signature Bridge, a location known for similar tragic incidents. A friend of Sneha alleged that none of the CCTV cameras in the area were operational at the time of her disappearance. “Despite the Signature Bridge being a suicide-prone area, there is not a single CCTV camera that works,” she said.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha had previously acknowledged Sneha’s disappearance and asked state police to coordinate with Delhi authorities for swift action.