Mystery deepens around Indian-origin student's disappearance in Dominican Republic
There is no breakthrough yet on the case relating to the missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki. The Indian citizen and US permanent resident has gone missing from a beach in the Dominican Republic four days ago. The case has got murkier with conflicting accounts from her friends and mounting concerns from her family.
The 20-year-old pre-med student, originally from South Riding, Virginia, was last seen on March 6, at the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana, where she had been holidaying with a group of five friends. She was vacationing with her peers when she went missing under suspicious circumstances early in the morning. Sudiksha’s family is now urging authorities to consider the possibility of foul play, including the fear that she may have been kidnapped, reported New York Post.
Joshua Steven Ribe, a 24-year-old tourist from Iowa, was the last person known to have seen Sudhiksha. Ribe admitted to passing out drunk on the beach, only to claim that when he awoke, she was gone. However, his statements to investigators have been inconsistent, casting doubt on the reliability of his account.
In one version, Ribe stated that after vomiting from rough waves, he checked on Ms Konanki and asked if she was okay. In another, he claimed to have last seen her in knee-deep water before blacking out. A third version suggested he saw her walking along the shore before he fell asleep. Despite these varying stories, Dominican police have not named him as a suspect, though they have confirmed that he is cooperating with the investigation.
Surveillance footage obtained by the Dominican news outlet Noticias SIN shows the group of friends partying at a resort disco until 3 am, before heading to the beach around 4 am. By 5:50 am, Sudiksha’s friends had left her alone with Mr Ribe. The group did not report her missing until 4 pm on Thursday, nearly 12 hours after she was last seen.
As the search continues, authorities have deployed an extensive operation involving drones, helicopters, boats, scuba divers, and all-terrain vehicles. Despite the large-scale efforts, the head of the Dominican Republic's Civil Defence, Juan Salas, has stated that the likelihood of finding her alive is "minimal." Authorities believe that Ms Konanki may have drowned after entering the ocean in her brown bikini, as her clothes were found on a beach chaise lounge.
However, Sudiksha's family is unconvinced by the theory of accidental drowning. Her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, has formally requested an expanded investigation, fearing that his daughter may have been abducted. “It’s been four days, and if she was in the water, she would likely have been washed ashore by now. She’s not been found, so we are asking the authorities to explore other possibilities, such as kidnapping or abduction,” he told WTOP-TV.
The family has raised further concerns due to the fact that Sudiksha’s phone and wallet were left behind with her friends, something that is highly unusual, as she was known to always carry her phone.
Family friend Ramprakash Krishnamanaidu questioned the possibility of her disappearance being linked to foul play. “If she’s not in the water and she hasn’t been found at the resorts or in the hospitals, then where is she?” he asked.
In response, the Dominican National Police are interrogating multiple individuals, including Sudiksha's friends and other guests at the resort. They are also reviewing surveillance footage from nearby resorts in the hope of uncovering further clues that could shed light on her disappearance.
International law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security Investigations, along with the University of Pittsburgh Police, have offered assistance in the investigation. The Indian Embassy in the Dominican Republic has also taken diplomatic charge of the case, adding international pressure for a thorough investigation.
As the mystery deepens, Sudiksha’s family continues to hold out hope for her safe return while urging the authorities to leave no stone unturned in their search for answers.