Sudiksha Konanki Missing Case: Parents Request Dominican Police to Declare Her Dead

Two weeks after Sudiksha Konanki, an Indian-origin student from the University of Pittsburgh, went missing from a beach in the Dominican Republic on March 6, her parents have sent a letter to the police, requesting that their daughter be declared dead.

According to a report by NBC News, Dominican Republic National Police spokesperson Diego Pesqueira confirmed that Konanki’s family had sent the agency a letter requesting a declaration of death.

The 20-year-old had traveled to the Caribbean island with a friend for spring vacation. A native of Virginia, she was reportedly last seen on a beach in Punta Cana on March 6.

Police are investigating a man named Joshua Riibe, 22, as he was the last person seen with Konanki. Riibe, a senior at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, is from Rock Rapids, Iowa.

Speaking to NBC News, Riibe said, “I’m just trying to help them out. The ocean is a dangerous place.”

A law firm representing Riibe revealed that he has been confined to the hotel where Konanki had been staying since the investigation began. "He is permanently escorted by the police anywhere he goes. So no, he is not free to leave," the law firm said. It has also been reported that the police have confiscated his passport.

During the investigation, Riibe confirmed he was on the beach with Konanki before she disappeared. He mentioned that they spent some time in "waist-high water." It has been reported that the current on the beach was strong on the day Konanki went missing.

NBC News quoted him as saying, “A wave crashed, taking them both out to sea. I kept trying to get her to breathe, but that didn’t allow me to breathe all the time, and I swallowed a lot of water.”

Riibe said he managed to get Konanki back to shore before she disappeared. “The last time I saw her, I asked if she was OK. I didn’t hear her answer. I looked around and didn’t see anyone. I thought she’d grabbed her things and left.”

Authorities in the Dominican Republic have said no one is considered a suspect in Konanki's disappearance.

Pesqueira, the national police spokesperson, stated that no signs of violence were found at the beach. Meanwhile, U.S. police officials have classified the case as a missing person investigation, not a criminal matter.