The disappearance of 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student, has gripped the Dominican Republic, as authorities intensify their investigation into the baffling case. Konanki, a bright and ambitious pre-med student, vanished in the early hours of Thursday from the beach at the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana. Now, police are questioning the young man who was last seen with her, hoping to piece together the puzzle of her disappearance.
An aspiring doctor’s vanishing
Konanki, originally from India and a US resident since 2006, had traveled to the Dominican Republic for spring break with friends. Described by her father as an ambitious and dedicated student, she had dreams of becoming a doctor. But her promising future was abruptly thrown into uncertainty when she failed to return from a late-night outing to the beach.
Surveillance footage paints a chilling timeline: at 4:15 am, Konanki and seven others were seen entering the beach. By 5:55 am, five women and one man had left, leaving her alone with a young man. The final known footage of him shows him leaving the area alone at 9:55 am. What happened in those crucial hours remains unknown.
The man in question
The young man, whose identity has not been disclosed, is now under scrutiny. Authorities have questioned him about the events that unfolded when he and Konanki were alone. While he provided an initial statement, the police are expanding their investigation to corroborate his version of events, as reported by CNN.
Meanwhile, a massive search operation is underway. The Dominican National Emergency System has deployed rescue teams, drones, and naval units, scouring the Bávaro coastline for any sign of Konanki. But so far, there’s been no trace of her.
A father’s desperate plea
Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, has traveled to the Dominican Republic, pleading for authorities to broaden their investigation. “They’re only searching the water, but I fear something else happened—kidnapping, trafficking. We don’t think she could survive this long in the ocean,” he said.
With growing pressure from US and Indian authorities, the case has sparked concerns about safety in the Dominican Republic, a country already under a Level 2 travel advisory due to violent crime risks.