TV
Sneha Debnath, a 19-year-old bright mathematics student from Tripura, who had been missing in Delhi for nearly a week, was found dead in the Yamuna River on Sunday. Her body was recovered near Geeta Colony in east Delhi, bringing a heartbreaking end to six days of desperate search efforts and rising anxiety for her family.
Sneha, a second-year B.Sc. Mathematics student at Delhi University’s Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, had been living with her family in the Paryavaran Complex. She went missing on July 7, sparking a large-scale search operation that drew attention from Delhi to her home state of Tripura.
A Timeline of Disappearance
On July 7, Sneha left home early, telling her mother she was going to drop her friend Pitunia at Sarai Rohilla Railway Station. She booked a cab at 5:15 a.m., driven by Subhe Chandra. But when her phone was unreachable by 8:45 a.m., her family’s worry turned into panic.
Shockingly, Pitunia later told the family she never met Sneha that day. The cab driver revealed that he had dropped her off at Delhi’s Signature Bridge in Wazirabad. Poor CCTV coverage in the area left police with no way to trace her movements beyond that point.
Eyewitnesses recalled seeing a girl alone on the bridge. A note found later suggested Sneha may have intended to jump into the Yamuna from the Signature Bridge.
The Search and Discovery in Yamuna
Police, assisted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), combed a seven-kilometre stretch of the Yamuna River. Days of searching finally ended when her body was discovered near Geeta Colony.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha had earlier instructed authorities to act swiftly. His office’s intervention underscored how the case resonated far beyond Delhi, touching hearts in her hometown of Sabroom.
Unanswered Questions by the River
While early indications suggest suicide, unanswered questions remain. Was Sneha alone in her last moments? Could more robust CCTV and safety measures at the Yamuna and its bridges have prevented this tragedy?
Her family — mother Pinki and sister Bipasha — now grapples with a loss that feels both sudden and preventable. The tragedy also reignites conversations around mental health support for students and the urgent need for safer public spaces near water bodies like the Yamuna.
