New details have emerged about the case of the missing 19 year old student from Delhi University; investigation remains ongoing following the discovery of the student’s body.
Almost a week after a 19-year-old student, Sneha Debnath from Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, University of Delhi went missing, her body has been recovered following a 72-hour search by the Delhi Police under the Geeta Colony flyover in the Yamuna river on Sunday.
Debnath, originally from Sabroom in Tripura, had moved away from her family to Delhi in order to pursue higher education. She had resided in Paryavaran Complex, South Delhi, as of late and the discovery of a suicide note by her family in her college hostel points towards an alleged suicide attempt by the student.
Sneha’s family and hostel authorities discovered a handwritten note in her room on July 13th, which seemed to indicate suicidal intent. The note, which is now under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Police for further investigation, read-
I just feel like a failure and burden, and it was getting unbearable to live like this. There is no foul play. It was my decision.”
Eyewitness testimonies remained hazy, and Debnath’s body was eventually discovered under the Geeta Colony flyover in the Yamuna river and identified by the authorities.
The case had emerged on July 7, when Sneha had told her mother that she was going to meet a friend (Pitunia) at Sarai Rohilla Railway Station at 6:45 am to bid her goodbye for a train. Her family attempted to contact her two hours later, at 8:45 a.m., but all in vain, as her phone appeared to be switched off.
Pitunia admitted to not having met with Sneha earlier in the morning, and that Sneha had instead taken a cab to Signature Bridge, a known suicide spot where no CCTV cameras are functional – an issue that was brought up by her father in the past week, given that it hindered the search for his daughter.
“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.”
– Debnath’s family
The cab driver in question confirmed dropping her near the bridge, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined forces with the Delhi Police to conduct an extensive search across a 7-kilometre radius from Noida to Nigam Bodh Ghat.
Sneha’s family, including her ailing father, a retired Army Subedar Major undergoing dialysis, had earlier expressed anguish over the delayed FIR, filed more than 48 hours after she was reported missing. He had taken to making emotional appeals on social media through posts that were popularised largely by students of Delhi University, eventually drawing the attention of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who instructed state police to coordinate with Delhi authorities and assist in the search. The Tripura CMO had earlier posted online:
I express my grief over her death, and my sympathy is with the bereaved family. I ask the authority of Tripura Bhavan, New Delhi, to render all possible help to the family.”
Image Credits: ANI
Aastha Singh
