Guwahati: After six days of intensive searching, police found the body of 19-year-old Sneha Debnath, a Delhi University student from Tripura, in the Yamuna River in East Delhi on Sunday.
Sneha’s family identified the body, and police have sent it for a post-mortem to determine the exact cause of death. Investigators confirmed that a handwritten note, found earlier, suggested that Sneha may have taken her own life due to personal and family-related distress.
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Using technical surveillance, police tracked Sneha’s last known location to the Signature Bridge area in North Delhi’s Majnu Ka Tila. Her body was eventually discovered about 10 kilometers downstream, near a flyover in Geeta Colony.
The tragic incident has stirred grief across Tripura. Chief Minister Manik Saha expressed condolences to Sneha’s family and assured that the state government would provide all necessary support. He also directed Tripura Bhawan officials in Delhi to stay in close contact with both the family and investigating authorities.
Tipra Motha founder and royal descendant Pradyot Kishore Debbarman also extended his sympathies and urged the public to avoid speculation, respecting the family’s pain during this difficult time.
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Sneha was a second-year student at Delhi University’s Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College. Her family described her as bright and determined. She was the daughter of Subedar Major Honorary Lieutenant Pritish Debnath (Retd.), who is currently undergoing dialysis for chronic kidney failure.
According to her family, Sneha left home early on July 7, telling her mother she planned to accompany a friend, Pitunia, to Sarai Rohilla Railway Station for a 6.45 am train. She last spoke with her mother at 5.56 am, and her phone was switched off by 8.45 am.
Concerns mounted after the family learned that Pitunia had never met Sneha that morning. The cab driver who dropped her off confirmed her drop location as Signature Bridge, which the family flagged as a critical surveillance blind spot due to non-functional CCTV cameras.
Despite a thorough search conducted on July 9 by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), at the request of the Delhi Police Crime Branch, authorities found no trace of her until Sunday’s discovery.
The family questioned the police for delaying the registration of the First Information Report (FIR), which they reportedly filed more than 48 hours after Sneha went missing. They also pointed out that she carried no money or belongings apart from her phone, and her bank account remained unused for months.
In a public statement, the family emphasized the role that working CCTV infrastructure could have played in finding Sneha sooner. They urged authorities to urgently address such lapses in public safety to prevent future tragedies.