Missing Indian-origin student Sudiksha Konanki: What we know about the case so far

Even as the search is on for 20-year-old Indian pre-med student, Sudiksha Konanki, who has mysteriously gone missing during a spring break visit to the Dominican Republic, the US authorities have identified a 24-year-old man as person of interest in the case.

Sudiksha Konanki, a citizen of India and a permanent resident of the United States, had disappeared on March 6 at the Riu Republic Resort in Punta Cana town in the Dominican Republic.

The sheriff's office in Konanki's hometown in Virginia, said an American Joshua Riibe was last seen with Sudiksha at a resort before she went missing, said reports. Riibe has been identified as a person of interest in the case, but the sheriff's office cautioned against jumping to conclusions, according to a report in the New York Post.

“This is not at this time a criminal investigation, so to be clear, he is not a suspect,” said the spokesperson at the sheriff's office. “It is our understanding that he is a US citizen who was vacationing in Punta Cana, not part of the group travelling with the missing person."

Foul play

Her parents, Subbarayudu and Sreedevi have landed in the beach resort town, Punta Cana, urging local authorities to intensify their search efforts and broaden the scope of the investigation.

Her parents suspect foul play, and Virginia police have said it is too early to rule drowning as the cause of her disappearance. US federal law enforcement agencies are working with authorities in the Caribbean country in the probe into her disappearance.

Day of disappearance

Sudiksha is a pre-med student at the University of Pittsburgh, hailing from South Riding, Virginia. She was on spring break with five female friends. On March 3, her friends and she reached the beach resort town of Punta Cana, and just three days later, she was reported missing after failing to return to their hotel accommodation.

On the day of her disappearance on March 6, CCTV footage released by police authorities revealed that she had been clubbing with friends till 3 am and returned to the Riu República Hotel. The hotel underwent a power outage that forced the residents to visit the beach nearby.

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Dominican news outlet, Noticias SIN, broadcasted CCTV footage from the hotel showing Sudiksha leaving at around 4.15 am after the power outage. She was seen wearing a white t-shirt and shorts, her hair tied back in a ponytail. She was accompanied by her friends and a young American tourist, identified as Joshua Steven Riibe, as the duo held onto each other while walking down a resort pathway.

Sudiksha was reported to have handed her wallet, room key and phone to her friends, although she was known to always have her phone on her person.

Three different statements

Riibe (24) is believed to be the last person to have seen Sudiksha, as her friends left the beach around 5.50 am leaving the duo alone. The key witness Riibe gave three different statements but in all three versions, he woke up on the beach to see that Konanki had disappeared.

Her friends then reported her missing around 4 pm on the same day, once they realised she had not returned, according to media reports.

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Person of Interest

The Sheriff’s Office later confirmed that upon interrogating Joshua Riibe, they found he gave three conflicting statements. In one account he claimed that the rough waves made him vomit and leave the water, checking if Sudiksha was okay. In another account he said he felt sick, left the surf and saw Sudiksha knee-deep in the water before passing out. In the third version of his account, he said she was walking along the shore before he fell asleep.

The young man had been interviewed intensely but was not accused of anything. The case is still considered a missing person case, not a criminal case, she said.

FBI involved

Virginia police authorities said they want to ensure the investigation is comprehensive and leave no stone unturned. The FBI is working closely with them and the Dominican National Police, as per media reports.

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The director of strategic communications for La Policia National in the Dominican Republic, Diego Pesqueira, told Fox News Digital that the police have urged the public to not draw any conclusions while the investigation is still ongoing. "We have expanded the investigation: more personnel, more equipment, the FBI, the Attorney General's office, interviews, and are reviewing security camera footage," he added.

La Policia Nacional added that Riibe’s passport had not been confiscated, as only the Public Prosecutor’s Office has the authority to do so during an investigation.

The Dominican National Police is working with the US Embassy and the Dominican Prosecutors Office.

The police said on Tuesday, that they were re-interviewing ‘targeted’ individuals who were in proximity to Sudiksha at the time of her disappearance. These individuals included hotel employees of the Riu República Hotel.

The goal is to gather information and corroborate her movements, interactions and any relevant information that could be useful for the investigation.

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