Washington: U.S. authorities have intensified their search for 20-year-old Indian student Sudhiksha Konanki, who went missing in the first week of March from the Dominican Republic. Investigators have identified a 24-year-old individual for questioning in connection with the case. Sudhiksha, a permanent resident of the United States, was last seen on March 6 at the Riu Republic Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Extensive Search Operations Launched
According to a CNN report, investigations conducted up to the seventh day have revealed that Sudhiksha, a student at the University of Pittsburgh, was at the beach of the Riu Republic Resort along with others before she disappeared. A joint search operation involving officials from the United States, the Dominican Republic, and India is underway. Authorities have deployed aerial, maritime, and ground-level search efforts. Sudhiksha’s family is originally from Loudoun County, Virginia.
Sudhiksha had traveled to Punta Cana with five of her classmates. According to police reports, on the morning of March 6, all of them consumed alcohol in the hotel lobby. At around 4:15 AM, she was seen heading to the beach with two men. By approximately 4:55 AM, five women left the beach along with one man, while Sudhiksha remained with another individual. This man reportedly left the beach just before 9:00 AM, but Sudhiksha was not with him.
Possibility of Abduction
Law enforcement officials have stated that video evidence suggests several people were present on the beach at the time of Sudhiksha’s disappearance, and investigators are working to identify them. General Commander of the Dominican Republic Navy, Agustín Morillo Rodríguez, stated on Wednesday that high waves were reported in the sea when Sudhiksha went missing.
Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman revealed that Sudhiksha’s parents, Subbarayudu and Sridevi Konanki, arrived in Punta Cana after receiving news of their daughter’s disappearance. They have since returned to Virginia. Her father, Subbarayudu, has urged authorities to expand the scope of the investigation. He expressed deep concern after learning that his daughter’s phone and purse were found with her friends, as she always kept her phone with her. This has fueled fears that she may have been abducted.
