Missing Tripura girl Sneha Debnath’s body recovered from Yamuna in Delhi; emotional distress suspected

Sneha Debnath

The body of 19-year-old Sneha Debnath, a Delhi University student who went missing on July 7, was recovered from the Yamuna River near Geeta Colony flyover on Sunday, police confirmed, as reported by TOI. The discovery followed an intense week-long search operation launched after a suspected suicide note was found at her home.

Sneha, a BSc Mathematics (Honours) student at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College and a resident of South Delhi’s Paryavaran Complex, had sent distressing messages to friends and family on the morning of her disappearance. According to TOI, her last known location was the Signature Bridge, where a cab driver confirmed dropping her off. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a girl standing alone near the edge of the bridge around sunrise before she vanished.

Police, along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), scoured a stretch of the Yamuna from Nigam Bodh Ghat to Noida before recovering a body matching Sneha’s description. “We had been conducting an extensive search since July 7. The body recovered matches the description shared by her family,” a senior officer said, as quoted by TOI.

An FIR was registered under Section 140(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Mehrauli Police Station. While initial observations point to drowning, forensic tests are underway to confirm the cause of death and rule out foul play.

Friends revealed Sneha had been withdrawn and emotionally distressed in recent months. On the day she disappeared, she sent farewell messages via email and WhatsApp, escalating concerns about her wellbeing.

Hailing from Sabroom in South Tripura, Sneha had moved to Delhi for higher education. Her death has reignited discussions about mental health support for students in the capital.Officials have stated that the traffic plan is flexible and may be revised as needed. In case of any emergency, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway could still be opened as an alternate emergency route.