Delhi University student’s body found in Yamuna after six-day search

The body of 19-year-old Sneha Debnath, a Delhi University mathematics student hailing from Tripura, was recovered from the Yamuna River under Geeta Colony flyover in north Delhi on July 13, six days after she was reported missing.

Delhi Police confirmed the identification and said a post-mortem examination is underway.

Sneha was last seen leaving her home on July 7 before dawn. A handwritten note found in her room the following day expressed an intent to die by suicide, stating she felt like a “failure” and a “burden,” though police emphasized there were no academic issues and attributed her emotional distress to personal reasons.

Investigators traced her last known location using taxi records and technical surveillance. The cab driver testified that he dropped Sneha near Signature Bridge, and eyewitnesses reported seeing a woman at the spot before she disappeared.

The bridge is known for its poor CCTV coverage, a key concern flagged by the family.

Rescue operations led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Delhi Police scoured the Yamuna stretch from Nigam Bodh Ghat to Noida before recovering her body downstream near Geeta Colony later that evening.

Sneha’s grieving family, including her father—a retired Subedar Major currently undergoing dialysis—demanded accountability over the non-functional CCTV infrastructure on the Signature Bridge and criticized police delays. They appealed for systemic safety improvements for young women in the city.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha also intervened, directing state police and Delhi officials to cooperate fully in the investigation.