Sneha Debnath's last known communication was with her mother at 5:56 am on July 7, when she said she was going to Delhi's Sarai Rohilla Railway Station.

The body of Sneha Debnath, who had been missing for the last six days, was recovered from the Yamuna River near Geeta Colony flyover on Sunday evening, Delhi Police said.The 19-year-old student of Delhi University, originally from Tripura and residing in South Delhi’s Paryavaran Complex, was last heard from on the morning of July 7.

A handwritten note suggesting suicidal intent was found in Sneha’s room, following which Delhi Police registered a case at Mehrauli Police Station and launched a search operation in coordination with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams. Her last known location was traced to Delhi’s Signature Bridge, where a cab driver confirmed having dropped her off 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,” news agency PTI quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan as saying.

Who was Sneha Debnath

Sneha Debnath was a 19-year-old student from Sabroom in South Tripura district, pursuing a BA in Mathematics at Delhi University’s Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College. 

Her family described her as “a bright, ambitious young woman, full of life and dreams,” but her sudden disappearance left them devastated. 

Her father, Subedar Major (Hon.) Lt Pritish Debnath (Retd) is battling chronic kidney failure and is currently undergoing dialysis. In a desperate attempt to trace her, the family had launched an online dashboard to gather any leads from the public.

'Going to Sarai Rohilla with a friend’: Sneha in her last call with parents

Sneha's last known communication was with her mother at 5:56 AM on July 7, when she said she would accompany a friend, Pitunia, to the Sarai Rohilla Railway Station. 

However, her phone was found switched off by 8:45 AM, raising immediate concern within her family. After failing to contact her again, Sneha’s family reached out to Pitunia, who said she had not met Sneha that day. 

Following Pitunia's denial, the family traced the cab Sneha had booked. The driver confirmed that he dropped her near Signature Bridge, a location known for suicide attempts; however, no CCTV footage was available in the area to track her movements further.

No financial activity in the last four months

According to a family friend, Sneha had not made any bank transactions for the past four months, raising questions about how she was sustaining herself. She also left her home on July 7 without carrying any personal belongings.

Eyewitnesses, search and recovery

Some eyewitnesses reportedly saw a girl standing on the Signature Bridge around the time Sneha was believed to be there. The NDRF and local police launched a joint search from Nigam Bodh Ghat to Noida. 

On Sunday evening, a body was found under the Geeta Colony flyover. Family members identified it as Sneha's.

“A joint search with NDRF and local police was immediately conducted… Her family members identified her,” DCP Chauhan said.

Family slams surveillance failure, seeks accountability

Sneha’s family and friends strongly criticised the authorities for lacking operational CCTV cameras in and around the Signature Bridge. 

“Despite the Signature Bridge being a suicide-prone area, there is not a single CCTV camera that works on the bridge or in nearby areas,” said one of Sneha’s friends.

“It is unacceptable that no CCTV cameras are working in a high-risk area like Signature Bridge. 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.”

They also flagged jurisdictional confusion, stating the bridge falls under four to five different police stations, leading to diluted responsibility and poor coordination.

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