Sneha Debnath, a 19-year-old student of Delhi University’s Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College originally from Sabroom, Tripura, was found dead in the Yamuna River near the Geeta Colony flyover on Sunday, ending a week-long search that gripped both Delhi and Tripura. Her body was recovered about 10 kilometers downstream from the Signature Bridge, where she was last traced.
A handwritten suicide note discovered in her hostel room revealed Sneha’s intention to end her life by jumping from the Signature Bridge. In the note, she expressed feelings of being a “failure and burden” and described her decision as personal, stating there was “no foul play” involved. The note has been submitted to the police and forms a key part of the ongoing investigation.
Sneha was last seen on the morning of July 7, when she told her mother she would accompany a friend to Sarai Rohilla Railway Station for a 6:45 am train. However, the friend never met her, and a cab driver later confirmed dropping her near the Signature Bridge instead. Her phone was last reachable at 5:56 am and was found switched off by 8:45 am, raising concerns about her movements that morning.
The case has drawn attention to the lack of functional CCTV cameras at the Signature Bridge, a known suicide-prone area, which has hindered efforts to reconstruct Sneha’s final movements. Her family has expressed grief and frustration over delayed police response and the absence of surveillance footage, which they believe could have clarified the circumstances of her disappearance.
Authorities, including the Delhi Police and National Disaster Response Force, conducted extensive search operations along a seven-kilometer stretch of the Yamuna River but only found Sneha’s body after several days[3][5][7]. Police sources indicated that Sneha was not academically troubled but may have been facing personal or family-related distress.
The Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has taken cognizance of the matter and instructed state police to coordinate with Delhi authorities for a swift and thorough investigation.
Sneha’s tragic death has sparked a broader conversation on youth mental health, urban safety, and the need for improved surveillance and timely police intervention in missing person cases.
