New Delhi: Sneha Debnath did not look depressed and was rather calm, said the neighbour of the 19-year-old Delhi University student whose body was recovered from Yamuna River, almost a week after she went missing on July 7.
A senior Delhi Police official confirmed the discovery and said her family had identified the body. Preliminary investigations indicate that Sneha, a native of Tripura and a resident of Delhi’s Saket area, died by suicide after jumping off the Signature Bridge in Geeta Colony.
Police also recovered a signed suicide note in which Sneha described herself as a “failure and a burden” and stated that life had become “unbearable.” In the note, she mentioned that her decision was taken “fully consciously” and not under any influence.
Despite the note, those who interacted with her shortly before she went missing described her as composed and calm.
Her neighbour told IANS, “I never saw her tensed. When I met her on July 7, she seemed completely normal. She was talking to someone on the phone; the conversation also seemed normal. I last saw her around 5:15 a.m. when she took the cab.”
The same was mentioned by the cab driver who dropped her off at the Signature Bridge in Delhi’s Geeta Colony on July 7.
“I had picked her up at 5:15 a.m., and she had a ride of 45 minutes. I dropped her at the signature bridge. After the ride, she paid me Rs 523 online. She did not seem to be bothered. She asked if she could connect Bluetooth to play music. I said no but offered to play YouTube songs instead. She asked me to play any song I liked. She seemed relaxed,” he told IANS.
“About five minutes before the ride ended, she got a call. She told the caller she would call back after paying for the ride. She paid Rs 523 online and got off near the Signature Bridge. I took a U-turn after dropping her and didn’t see her again, but I didn’t suspect anything. There were people around, and there are also cameras in the area, though I don’t know if they’re functional,” he added.
The cab driver said that Sneha’s sister contacted him around 2 p.m. that day. The police also questioned him and visited the drop-off location he had identified.
The Delhi Police are now conducting a full-fledged investigation into the incident.
Sneha’s disappearance triggered concern across states. Her father, Pritthis Debnath, a military personnel, is said to be in constant touch with the Delhi Police. He had also reached out to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who expressed condolences and directed officials at Tripura Bhavan in New Delhi to assist the grieving family.
“The Chief Minister has ordered a detailed probe into the incident. Senior Tripura Police officials are in touch with their counterparts in Delhi,” an official from the CMO said.
According to reports citing family sources, Sneha had left her home early on July 7 to receive a friend at Sarai Rohilla railway station. However, the cab she took dropped her off at the Signature Bridge instead. Her phone was switched off shortly after.
A mathematics student at Delhi University, Sneha had not withdrawn any money from her account in recent months, and her bank balance remains untouched.
Sneha’s four-member family has been staying in Delhi for many years. Family members remain extremely concerned. She left home without any belongings and had not withdrawn money from the ATM in the past few months. Sneha’s bank account remains untouched so far.
(IANS)
