New Evidence Reveals More People Were on Dominican Beach Where Indian Student Went Missing
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic — March 13, 2025
Investigators have uncovered new evidence indicating that additional individuals were present on the beach at the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana when 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student, vanished on March 6. This development has prompted authorities to expand their investigation beyond the initial theory of accidental drowning.
Surveillance footage from the early hours of March 6 shows Konanki walking on the beach with friends and two men around 4:15 a.m. Later footage captured five women and one man leaving the beach around 4:55 a.m., but Konanki appears to have stayed behind with a man in his 20s. By 9:55 a.m., the man exited the beach alone and later provided inconsistent statements to police .
Authorities have named 24-year-old Joshua Riibe, the last person seen with Konanki, as a person of interest in the case. Riibe, who was reportedly a former lifeguard, stated that he and Konanki were caught in a current while swimming but managed to return to shore. He claimed to have vomited upon reaching the beach and that Konanki said she was going to fetch her things. When he looked up, she was gone .
The discovery of Konanki’s clothes on a beach chaise lounge without signs of violence has led authorities to consider the possibility of foul play. The FBI and other agencies are collaborating with Dominican officials in the ongoing investigation .
Konanki’s family has expressed concerns about potential kidnapping or human trafficking and is urging authorities to explore all possibilities. They have requested that she be declared legally dead to begin the grieving process .
The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the circumstances surrounding Konanki’s disappearance.
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