The search is on for Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old student at the University of Pittsburgh, who disappeared from a resort in the Dominican Republic. She was last seen on March 6 at the Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana.
According to local police, Sudiksha was seen entering the ocean with a group of friends around 4:15 a.m. on the day she went missing. A male friend who was with her is now under investigation, although it’s unclear if he is the same person reported to have seen her last. Police are trying to get more information from him about what happened.
Sudiksha, who is originally from India and lives in Virginia, traveled to the Dominican Republic for spring break with five classmates. They arrived on March 3, just days before she vanished. Reports indicate that she and the male friend entered the water, but he claims the rough waves made him feel ill, leading him to return to shore, leaving her behind.
Local media identified the friend as Joshua Steven Ribe, a 24-year-old from Iowa who was also staying at the same resort. He has provided police with multiple accounts of the events. In one version, he mentioned that he saw her walking along the beach before dozing off.
After Sudiksha went missing, search efforts intensified, and her clothes were discovered on the beach. Authorities are also considering the possibility that she may have drowned, depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
As the search continues, INTERPOL has been contacted to assist, and a worldwide alert for missing persons has been shared through the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia.
Sudiksha is described as 5 feet, 3 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. When she was last seen, she was wearing a brown bikini along with several accessories.
The effort to find her remains strong as family and friends await news of her whereabouts.
