The family of Sudiksha Konanki, a student from Pittsburgh University, is urging authorities to explore every avenue in the quest to find the missing student.
The 20-year-old arrived at a resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on March 3, with a group of five college friends, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Sudiksha’s last known sighting was around 4:15 AM on March 6, as she was captured on CCTV entering the beach at the Riu República Hotel, according to the Dominican National Police.
Subsequent CCTV footage showed five women and a man leaving the beach at about 5:55 AM, without Sudiksha among them.
When she did not return, her friends searched the area and, unable to find her, alerted local authorities, a police source informed CNN.
Her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, filed a missing person report on the same day after she failed to come back.
Subbarayudu explained to the outlet: “Her friends came back after some time and my daughter did not come back, did not show up from the beach.”
Authorities launched a search focusing on the beach and surrounding waters; however, Subbarayudu and family friend Ramprakash Krishnamanaidu lodged a formal complaint, urging authorities to broaden the investigation to include possibilities such as kidnapping or abduction.
Subbarayudu expressed to WTOP News: “It’s four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore.”
“She’s not found, so we’re asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction,” he added.
The complaint acknowledges ‘while it is possible that Sudiksha drowned, there is a growing suspicion that there may be a crime, specifically the possibility of kidnapping’.
“Her belongings, including personal items like her phone and wallet, were left with her friends, which is unusual because she always carried her phone with her,” it states. “In light of these circumstances, I respectfully request that the authorities take immediate steps to investigate not only the possibility of an accidental drowning, but also the possibility of a kidnapping or foul play.”
On March 10, the Dominican National Police shared on Twitter their efforts to ‘strengthen’ the search by ‘re-interviewing all individuals and expanding the forensic analysis of video surveillance footage’.
The tweet stated: “[Translation] Continuing the investigation into the disappearance of Konanki Sudiksha Chowdary, a 20-year-old of Indian origin and U.S. resident, the National Police, together with the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the International Liaison of the U.S. embassy in the country, have formed a high-level commission to monitor the case.”
The ‘new phase’ of the investigation has begun with ‘re-interviews of individuals who were previously with the missing woman in time and space’ and involves questioning hotel staff and Sudiksha’s friends to ‘verify her movements, interactions and any relevant details’.
‘All necessary resources’ are being employed to locate the student, utilizing ‘personal and technological tools’ including ‘specialized marine equipment’.
“As for the investigation, a team of forensic technicians is working on an exhaustive analysis of footage captured by video surveillance cameras from the young woman’s arrival in the country with her foreign companions on March 3rd through the present,” it adds.
The statement concludes: “All institutions involved in this critical search effort, such as the Army, Navy, and Air Force of the Dominican Republic, as well as the Civil Defense and other relief organizations, will adopt the strategic measures of the national and international commission that are deepening this process.”
“[…] The FBI and International Liaison are reported as having ‘enhanced their involvement too.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office at 703-777-1021.
UNILAD has reached out to the Dominican National Police for further comments.