The suicide note of of Sneha Debnath, the 19-year-old Delhi University student whose body was recovered from the Yamuna River near Geeta Colony flyover on Sunday evening was found from her Delhi home. In the letter, Sneha stated that she felt like a failure and it was getting unbearable to live.
"It was my decision, fully conscious under no influence. I chose to end my life by jumping from the Signature Bridge, Delhi, early morning of 7th July. I feel like a failure and a burden, and it was getting unbearable to live like this. Hence, I decided to end it," the noted read.
It further stated that, "it was no one's fault but mine and only mine. There is no foul play this was all my decision."
In her last correspondence with her mother on July 7, 5:56 AM, she allegedly said that she was going to Delhi’s Sarai Rohilla Railway station accompanied by a friend.
Sneha’s family was unable to contact her around 8:45 AM on the same day as her phone was switched off. This raised concerns within the family instantly, and they reached out to Pitunia, the friend Sneha mentioned accompanying Sarai Rohilla.
Pitunia denied meeting Sneha on that day, following which the family traced the cab Sneha had booked. The driver confirmed that he dropped her near the Signature Bridge. However, no CCTV footage was available in the area to track her further movements.
“Investigation was taken up. The cab driver confirmed dropping her at the Signature Bridge. Technical surveillance revealed her last location was at Signature Bridge,” news agency PTI quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan as saying.
Some eyewitnesses reportedly saw a girl standing on the Signature Bridge around the time Sneha was believed to be there. The NDRF and local police launched a joint search from Nigam Bodh Ghat to Noida.
On Sunday evening, a body was found under the Geeta Colony flyover. Family members identified it to be Sneha's.
“A joint search with NDRF and local police was immediately conducted… Her family members identified her,” DCP Chauhan said.
According to a family friend, Sneha had not made any bank transactions for the past four months, raising questions about how she was sustaining herself. She also left her home on July 7 without carrying any personal belongings.
The Signature Bridge in Delhi’s Wazirabad area is infamous for suicide cases. Yet, allegedly, the area lacks CCTV coverage. Sneha’s family and friends have criticised the administration for not having coverage in such a sensitive area, as some clarity could have been achieved if CCTV footage was available.
“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,” said one of Sneha’s friends.
“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,” she added.
They also flagged jurisdictional confusion, stating the bridge falls under four to five different police stations, leading to diluted responsibility and poor coordination.
The 19-year-old student of Delhi University, originally from Tripura and residing in South Delhi’s Paryavaran Complex, was last heard from on the morning of July 7. A handwritten note suggested suicidal intent, following which Delhi Police registered a case at Mehrauli Police Station and launched a search operation in coordination with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams.
Earlier in the day, the office of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha acknowledged the incident and said instructions had been issued to Delhi Police to take immediate and appropriate action in the case.
