Moved to Delhi for her future: Family devastated after DU student found dead in Yamuna; Tripura CM mourns death

NEW DELHI: The family of Sneha Debnath, the 19-year-old Delhi University student whose body was recovered from the Yamuna River nearly a week after she went missing, had relocated to Delhi in pursuit of better educational opportunities for their daughters. Originally from Tripura, Sneha was a second-year BSc Mathematics student at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, Delhi University. Her sudden disappearance on July 7 triggered a large-scale search operation following the intervention of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha. Her body was eventually recovered on Sunday by Delhi Police and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

Sneha's father, Pritish Debnath, a retired Army personnel from Bhuratali village in South Tripura's Sabroom subdivision, was too overwhelmed to speak when contacted by news agency PTI. "I can't say anything now... I am not in a position to talk to anybody about what is going on in my mind," he said. Pritish had shifted to Delhi with the hope of providing quality education to his two daughters — Bipasa and Sneha. While Bipasa is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Mathematics, Sneha had just completed her second year of college. Ashim Debnath, a cousin of Sneha said, "My uncle, who was living in a flat in Delhi's Saket area, was planning to return to his native place Buratali after the completion of higher studies of his two daughters."

"We are devastated, shocked and speechless by the death of Sneha who went to Delhi for a bright career. My uncle, with whom I spoke on Sunday night, was deeply shattered by the tragic death of his younger daughter," he added. Tripura chief minister Manik Saha expressed his condolences on X, saying, "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." He added that initial investigations suggest the incident was a suicide: "Initial investigation reveals that she committed suicide by jumping into the river. A full-fledged probe is underway to know the reason behind the incident."