The body of 19-year-old Sneha Debnath, a student at Delhi University who had been missing since July 7, was recovered from the Yamuna River on Sunday near Geeta Colony. Her tragic death has sparked serious concerns among family members, who are now questioning the events that led up to her disappearance and the response from authorities.

Sneha, a native of Sabroom in Tripura, had moved to Delhi to pursue higher education and career opportunities. She was enrolled in a Mathematics undergraduate program at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College and was also pursuing a parallel certification in Data Science and Programming from IIT Madras. Alongside her studies, she was interning for an Australian-based firm. Her family described her as a highly focused and independent young woman who was not only academically gifted but also financially self-reliant.

“She was pursuing two degrees simultaneously. She was earning, she did not want money from anybody,” her cousin shared, calling Sneha an “overachiever” who was admired despite her young age.

According to her family, Sneha left her home in South Delhi’s Paryavaran Complex around 5:15 am on July 7. She told her mother that she was going to see off a friend, Pitunia, at the Sarai Rohilla railway station for an early train. That would be the last time anyone from her family heard from her. Her phone was switched off by 8:45 am, raising immediate concern.

Soon after, when the family contacted Pitunia, they learned she never met Sneha that morning. On tracing her cab booking, they found that the driver had dropped Sneha off at Signature Bridge — a location that has witnessed multiple tragic incidents in the past.

The family filed a missing persons complaint with Mehrauli Police, and an extensive search began. Officials from the Delhi Police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) carried out operations over a 7-km stretch of the Yamuna. Eyewitnesses told police they had seen a girl matching Sneha’s description standing alone on the bridge that morning.

Handwritten Note Found

Days into the search, investigators found a handwritten note that indicated Sneha may have taken her own life. The note read, “It was my decision fully conscious under no influence, I chose to end my life by jumping from Signature Bridge, Delhi, early morning of 7th July. I felt like a failure and a burden and it was getting unbearable to live like this, hence I decided to end it. It was no one’s fault but mine and only mine. There is no foul play, this was all my decision.”

Despite the contents of the note, Sneha’s sister Bipasha expressed doubts. “There is no clue. Why was she depressed? What was happening? Nothing. Just four lines,” she told NDTV. “If she really wanted to die, there are lots of ways to do it at home or nearby. You don’t have to go all the way to a place where 60 cameras are not working. Someone could have manipulated her.”

One of the most disturbing findings in the case is the lack of surveillance at Signature Bridge. The family and a friend alleged that none of the 60 CCTV cameras in the area were operational, severely hampering the investigation and raising safety concerns about the site, which is known to be suicide-prone.

The family said Sneha had been mentally and emotionally low in the past few months, possibly due to family stress. Her father, a retired Subedar Major and Honorary Lieutenant, is battling kidney failure and currently undergoing dialysis. These personal pressures may have taken a toll on her mental health, according to close friends.

Authorities also learned that Sneha had sent emotionally sensitive messages to some friends through emails and chat apps shortly before her disappearance. These messages further hinted at her inner turmoil, though the exact reasons remain unclear.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha had earlier acknowledged the case, directing state authorities to coordinate with Delhi Police for prompt action. “The report of Miss Sneha Debnath, a resident of Sabroom, who has reportedly gone missing in New Delhi, has come to the notice of the Chief Minister’s Office. Following this, necessary instructions have been promptly issued to the police to take immediate and appropriate action,” he stated on social media.

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