The body of 19-year-old Delhi University student Sneha Debnath, who had been missing for six days, was recovered on Sunday evening from the Yamuna River near the Geeta Colony flyover.
Sneha, originally from Sabroom in Tripura’s South district, was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College under Delhi University. Alongside her undergraduate studies, she was also enrolled in a data science and programming course at IIT Madras and had been working as an intern for an Australian firm. Her family described her as “a bright, ambitious young woman, full of life and dreams.”
She was last heard from around 5:56 AM on the morning of 7 July, when she spoke to her mother and said she would accompany a friend named Pitunia to Sarai Rohilla Railway Station. That was the last time her family had any contact with her. By 8:45 AM, her phone had been switched off, raising alarm among her family.
When they contacted Pitunia, she revealed that she had not met Sneha that day. This led the family to track down the cab Sneha had taken. The driver confirmed that he had dropped her off at the Signature Bridge that morning.
“Investigation was taken up. The cab driver confirmed dropping her at the Signature Bridge. Technical surveillance revealed her last location was at Signature Bridge,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan.
A search of Sneha’s room led to the discovery of a handwritten note, where she detailed her intention to end her life. “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,” the note read. “I felt like 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,” she wrote.
Following her disappearance, Delhi Police registered a case at Mehrauli Police Station and launched a large-scale search in coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The search spanned from Nigam Bodh Ghat to Noida.
On Sunday evening, a body was found beneath the Geeta Colony flyover. Sneha’s family was called to the scene and they confirmed the body was hers. “A joint search with NDRF and local police was immediately conducted… Her family members identified her,” said DCP Chauhan.
The discovery has led to intense criticism from the family and public over glaring lapses in surveillance and jurisdiction. According to her relatives, none of the approximately 60 CCTV cameras in the vicinity of Signature Bridge were operational, significantly hampering the investigation.
“It is unacceptable that no CCTV cameras are working in a high-risk area like Signature Bridge,” said one of Sneha’s friends. “My sister was missing, and we have no leads because the only concrete form of evidence, video footage, is not available... We demand accountability from the Delhi Police and government, and immediate steps to fix this negligent failure.”
The family further criticised the jurisdictional ambiguity around Signature Bridge, which reportedly falls under four to five different police stations, leading to confusion and poor coordination during the critical early hours of Sneha’s disappearance.
Sneha’s tragic death has left her family and friends devastated. Her cousin recalled, “She was pursuing two degrees simultaneously. She was earning, she did not want money from anybody.” According to her LinkedIn profile, Sneha had an interest in mathematics, computing, and anime, particularly the series Monster.
Despite her outward success, friends say Sneha had been struggling emotionally in recent months. Reports suggest that her father’s ongoing battle with chronic kidney failure, for which he undergoes regular dialysis, may have taken a heavy emotional toll on her.
In the wake of this tragedy, Sneha’s family has demanded urgent reforms in how cases of missing persons are handled, especially in known high-risk areas like Signature Bridge.
Her mother and sister, who had launched a public dashboard and appealed widely for help after she went missing, are now calling for answers and action. “This should never happen to anyone else,” her sister Bipasha said. “If the cameras were working, we might have had answers sooner. If coordination was better, we might have had help faster.”
