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Sudiksha Konanki, was on spring break trip, along with five other female friends from the University of Pittsburgh. She was last seen with Joshua Riibe, who was not a part of the group.
Indian-origin student Sudakshi Konanki went missing on March 6 (Image Credits: X)
The parents of 20-year-old Indian student Sudiksha Konanki, who went missing on March 6, have requested the Dominican Republic police to declare her dead, as per a US media report.
Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student from Virginia, was last seen on a beach in Punta Cana on March 6. She had travelled there with five friends for a spring break holiday.
She was last seen with Joshua Riibe, who was not originally part of Konanki’s group but met them later in the resort town.
Before she went missing, Konanki and her friends partied at a resort disco until around 3 am (local time). An hour later, the group made their way to the beach. CCTV footage showed the group arriving at the beach at around 4:15 am. By 5:50 am, most of the group had left, leaving Konanki alone with Riibe.
Hours later, Riibe was seen by himself, and since then, there has been no trace of Konanki.
While US federal law enforcement agencies are working with authorities in the Caribbean country on the probe into her disappearance, the family has sent a letter requesting a declaration of death, as per a report by NBC News citing Dominican Republic National Police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira on Tuesday (local time).
Sudiksha Konanki, described by her father as an “ambitious” student with plans to study medicine, had arrived in Punta Cana on March 3. She was on a spring break trip with five other female students from the University of Pittsburgh, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
In the early hours of March 6, Konanki disappeared from a beach in Punta Cana. Since then, she has been presumed dead.
On Monday, Konanki’s family sent a formal letter to the authorities, stating they do not believe foul play was involved in her disappearance, New York Post reported.
In the letter, her parents also expressed their trust in the ongoing investigation and noted that Joshua Riibe, the last person spotted with their daughter, has been cooperating with the authorities, according to sources.
The family further mentioned that they understand certain legal processes must be followed regarding their request but are prepared to provide any required documents or complete any formalities, ABC News reported.
