Delhi: Missing DU student found dead in Yamuna after 6 days

The body of 19-year-old Sneha Debnath, a Delhi University student missing for six days, was retrieved from the Yamuna River near Geeta Colony flyover on Sunday evening, police said.

Sneha, a resident of Paryavaran Complex in south Delhi, hailed from Tripura. She was reported missing on July 7.

According to police, Sneha had left a handwritten note behind, indicating an intent to jump off the Signature Bridge, built across the Yamuna River. A case in the matter was lodged at the Mehrauli Police Station.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan, in a statement, said, “Investigation was taken up. The cab driver confirmed dropping her at the Signature Bridge. Technical surveillance revealed her last location was at Signature Bridge.”

Some eyewitnesses said they saw a girl standing on the bridge.

“A joint search with NDRF and local police was immediately conducted from Nigam Bodh Ghat to Noida. Her close friends stated she had been upset for the last few months and had dropped emails and messages that morning. Teams on Sunday evening found the body of a woman and her family members in the river under the Geeta Colony flyover. Her family members identified her,” the DCP said.

Police said Sneha’s body was seen floating in the river under the Geeta Colony flyover. It was later identified by her family members.

While a search for Sneha was on, her family and friends expressed concerns about the surveillance infrastructure in the area around the Signature Bridge.

A friend of Sneha claimed that none of the CCTV cameras on the Signature Bridge or in the vicinity were operational at the time she was spotted there.

“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,” she alleged.

Sneha was studying BA Mathematics at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College of Delhi University.

“We got to know that she had not withdrawn any money from her account for the last four months. And had left the house without her belongings on July 7 after making a call to her family members,” a family friend told PTI.

She said that on July 7, she called her family at 5.56 am and informed them that she would go to Sarai Rohilla Railway Station to meet a friend, Pitunia.

“Later, her phone was not reachable for more than three hours. Her family grew suspicious and called Pitunia, who informed them that she had not met her,” she added.

In the hope of leads for her, Sneha’s loved ones launched a web dashboard for the people to share information about her.

A post from the dashboard read, “If you have any information about Sneha Debnath’s whereabouts or witnessed her on July 7 morning, please contact authorities immediately. Every minute counts in finding her safely.”

In a statement, her family criticised the authorities for not keeping the CCTVs on the bridge in working condition.

“It is unacceptable that in a high-risk area like Signature Bridge, no CCTV cameras are working. My sister was missing, and we have no leads because the only concrete form of evidence, video footage, is simply not available. This is not just about Sneha; it’s about the safety of every student and citizen who visits this area. We demand accountability from the Delhi Police and government, and immediate steps to fix this negligent failure,” the statement said.

One of their posts complained about jurisdictional confusion, flagging that the bridge falls under 4-5 different police stations, leading to diluted responsibility and poor coordination.

“Signature Bridge is a known suicide-prone zone that should mandate robust surveillance, yet cameras remain non-operational,” their post read.

Also Read: Delhi University student missing at Signature Bridge; all 60 CCTV cameras at the bridge non-functional

Sneha’s family demanded immediate repair of all CCTV cameras at Signature Bridge, clear jurisdiction assignment for the bridge area, public audit of CCTV infrastructure across Delhi and transparency in investigation progress.

The family, a day earlier, had said, “We are devastated and deeply anguished by the disappearance of our daughter, Sneha Debnath, a 19-year-old student of Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, Delhi University.”

They said she was a bright, ambitious young woman, full of life and dreams.

Sneha was the daughter of Subedar Major (Hon.) Lt Pritish Debnath (retd), who has been battling chronic kidney failure and is currently being treated through dialysis.

Her mother’s last contact with her was at 5.56 am.

“When we called again at 8:45 am, her phone was found switched off. We later learned that Pitunia had not met Sneha that morning.

“Upon contacting the cab driver, we were horrified to discover that he had dropped her at Signature Bridge, a known critical spot where not a single CCTV camera is functional, creating a huge blind spot,” read the family statement.

“Sneha has not withdrawn any cash for four months and her small remaining balance has remained unchanged,” it read.

Earlier, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha directed police to find Sneha in a post on X, noting that the girl hailed from Sabroom in south Tripura.