A 19 year old Delhi University student, Sneha Debnath, from Sabroom, South Tripura, has been missing since July 7, sparking concern among her family and authorities. Sneha, a mathematics student at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, was last in contact with her family at 5:56 AM, stating she was heading to Sarai Rohilla Railway Station to meet a friend, Pitunia. However, Pitunia later confirmed they did not meet that morning. A formal missing complaint has been registered with Delhi police.
Sneha’s family traced a cab driver who revealed he dropped her near Delhi’s Signature Bridge, a location notorious for poor CCTV coverage and safety concerns. The absence of functional surveillance cameras has hindered the investigation, leaving authorities without crucial footage to trace her movements. Sneha’s phone has been switched off since 8:45 AM on July 7, and her bank account has shown no transactions for the past four months, raising questions about how she managed expenses in Delhi.
A handwritten note was found in Sneha’s room that has deepened the mystery. The note, “in her handwriting”, expressed feelings of failure and a desire to end her life by jumping off Signature Bridge. “I just feel like a failure and burden and it was getting unbearable to live like this…I had decided to end my life by jumping from Signature Bridge”, the note reportedly read, as quoted by NDTV.
This alarming discovery has intensified fears for her safety, though no evidence confirms her fate or an attempted suicide. Sneha, the daughter of retired Subedar Major Pritish Debnath, who is battling kidney failure, left home without any belongings, adding to the family’s distress.
The case has prompted swift action from authorities. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha intervened, directing police to prioritise the search. A statement from chief minister's office, read, “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.”
The Delhi Police Crime Branch, alongside the National Disaster Response Force, launched a search operation on July 9, covering a 7 km radius around Signature Bridge, but no leads have emerged so far.
