A 20-year-old college student has disappeared while vacationing in the Dominican Republic, prompting an extensive search effort by authorities on land, air, and sea.
Sudiksha Konanki, a junior at the University of Pittsburgh, was last seen on surveillance footage entering the beach at the Riu República Hotel in Punta Cana at approximately 4:15 a.m. on Thursday, accompanied by seven other people, according to a statement from the Dominican Republic National Police. She was reported missing after failing to return.
Authorities from the Dominican Republic, the United States, and India are involved in the search, deploying search dogs, drones, and helicopters to locate her.
A Bright and Ambitious Student
Konanki’s family describes her as a highly driven student with aspirations of becoming a doctor.
“My daughter is a very nice girl,” her father, SubbarayuduKonanki, told CNN. “She’s ambitious. She wanted to pursue a career in medicine.”
She had traveled to Punta Cana for spring break before beginning her pre-med studies, her father explained. Originally from India, the Konanki family has lived in the U.S. since 2006 and currently resides as permanent residents in Loudoun County, Virginia.
Back in her hometown, community members are deeply concerned.
“It’s already four days, and everybody’s so worried,” said family friend Shekar Pendem, who has known Konanki since she was three, in an interview with CNN affiliate WUSA.
U.S. Representative Suhas Subramanyam, whose district includes Loudoun County, acknowledged the distressing nature of the situation, calling it “the worst nightmare.”
“I’ve got two daughters, and I just think about a scenario like this happening to them,” he said in an interview with WUSA. “It’s, you know, really heartbreaking.”
Konanki had arrived in the Dominican Republic on March 3 with five other female University of Pittsburgh students, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Her father filed a missing person report at 5:43 p.m. on Thursday, after which the sheriff’s office immediately coordinated with the State Department and federal law enforcement to engage with the Dominican Republic National Police.
The FBI confirmed its involvement in assisting international authorities but referred all inquiries to Dominican authorities, who are leading the investigation.
Last Known Moments
Before her disappearance, Konanki was seen consuming alcohol and heading to the beach with friends, who later returned to their hotel without her.
Early Thursday morning, security footage showed Konanki drinking in the Riu República Hotel lobby with five women and two men, according to a law enforcement source. Around 4:15 a.m., the group entered the beach, police reported.
“Her friends came back after some time, and my daughter did not come back, did not show up from the beach,” her father told CNN.
At approximately 4:55 a.m., surveillance captured five women and one man leaving the beach—without Konanki—two sources familiar with the investigation told CNN.
Another surveillance clip reportedly shows the man leaving the beach at 8:55 a.m., the sources added. Initially, authorities believed the footage timestamps were an hour later than actual time, but hotel staff later clarified the timestamps were one hour ahead.
When Konankifailed to return to her hotel room, her friends searched for her. Around 4 p.m. Thursday, they alerted hotel staff about her disappearance, according to a statement from the Riu hotel chain.
Her sarong-style cover-up was found on a lounge chair at the beach. There were no apparent signs of violence, according to a Dominican law enforcement source.
Authorities are interviewing a man in his 20s, believed to be the last person to see her. However, he is not currently considered a suspect, the source said.
The man remains under police watch in a hotel room while the investigation continues, but he has not been officially detained, a separate source familiar with the case told CNN.
He informed investigators that both he and Konanki entered the ocean, but he started feeling sick, left the water, and fell asleep on a lounge chair, according to the source.
Another law enforcement source stated that while the man had been questioned multiple times, his statements did not contain major inconsistencies. An earlier report suggested discrepancies in his accounts, but translation issues might have contributed to these differences, the source explained.
An Extensive Search
Authorities are conducting an intense search effort, with officials from the U.S., the Dominican Republic, and India collaborating in the investigation.
On Monday, the Dominican Republic National Police announced on X that they were re-interviewing individuals who had been with Konanki, as well as hotel employees, and were conducting a “thorough analysis” of surveillance footage.
Efforts have been reinforced with additional personnel and technological resources, including specialized marine equipment.
The Dominican National Emergency System, which is overseeing the island-wide search, has mobilized four drone teams equipped with advanced technology.
Video footage from Tuesday shows military personnel searching by land and sea in Punta Cana, with boats and drones scouring the area.
Officials in the Dominican Republic said they are ramping up the “intensive operation,” with more than 300 agents, specialists, tactical teams, and aquatic search personnel deployed since early Tuesday in the coastal and surrounding areas of the hotel.
The government has allocated all necessary resources to locate Konanki, including forensic teams analyzing surveillance footage from the area.
Her father emphasized that authorities have employed multiple search methods.
“So far, the authorities, multiple authorities here in the Dominican Republic, have searched in the waters. They searched using helicopters and other tools. They also searched in the near bay, bushes, trees. They went multiple times around the same areas,” he told CNN.
Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chapman affirmed that no effort would be spared in the search.
“We want to make sure that we don’t leave any stone unturned,” he said on Monday, adding that his office is coordinating closely with Dominican authorities, the U.S. Embassy, and the FBI.
The Embassy of India is also actively involved. “We are extending all assistance in coordination with government authorities of the Dominican Republic,” it stated on Facebook.
Hotel staff at the Riu República are assisting authorities in their efforts, the hotel chain confirmed.
Konanki’s parents, along with two family friends, have traveled to Punta Cana, according to the Associated Press.
Investigation Continues
The Dominican Republic National Police announced on Monday the formation of a “high-level commission” to work alongside the Attorney General’s Office, the FBI, and the International Liaison of the U.S. Embassy on the case.
Konanki’s father has urged authorities to consider all possible angles, including the possibility of abduction or human trafficking.
“We don’t think she would be able to survive for more than three days in the water, and I think something else might’ve happened to her,” he told CNN on Sunday.
Sheriff Chapman acknowledged that authorities cannot rule out foul play.
“We’re pursuing every possible lead,” he said. “We’re hoping and praying that we have a very positive outcome.”
He noted that while the extensive search has yet to find Konanki, this could potentially be a good sign.
“It’s an extensive amount of searching that they’ve done, and yet they still haven’t found her, so in a way, that may be a good sign,” he explained.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office urged the public to refrain from speculation regarding Konanki’s disappearance.
“There has been considerable public speculation about what may have happened to Konanki and who may be involved,” the office stated in a Monday press release. “We caution anyone from drawing any unsubstantiated conclusions and are committed to ensuring that a thorough investigation is conducted before any conclusions are reached.”
