Dominican authorities question man last seen with missing U.S. student Sudiksha Konanki as search expands

Authorities in the Dominican Republic have intensified their search for Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who went missing from a beach in Punta Cana on March 6, 2025, CNN reports.

The land and sea search continues. Additionally, police have questioned a young man who was reportedly the last person to see her. Surveillance footage shows Konanki entering the beach area near the Riu República Hotel with a group of people early Thursday morning. However, she was later seen staying behind with the man, whose account is now under investigation, a CNN report suggests. More details are awaited.

The case has drawn international attention. U.S. and Indian authorities are working alongside Dominican law enforcement to locate the missing student. Initial reports suggest that she may have drowned after being caught in a strong wave.

However, Sudiksha Konanki’s family has urged authorities to investigate other possibilities, which also include potential foul play.

---

The man last seen with Sudiksha Konanki

The 'young man' seen with Sudiksha Konanki before she disappeared has been questioned by authorities. However, details of his statement have not been released. Dominican police are reportedly working to verify his version of events and determine whether there are inconsistencies in his account.

CNN reports that it is unclear whether he was a fellow tourist or a resident, and officials have not disclosed if he is considered a suspect. However, with no concrete evidence of what happened after 4:15 a.m. local time, investigators are treating his testimony as a key part of the case.

As noted by CNN, the Dominican National Emergency System shared in a statement,

"In coordination with the Tourism Police, the Civil Defense, the Dominican Navy, the National Police, and other rescue organizations, four teams of drones equipped with advanced technology have been deployed to conduct a thorough search in the coastal area of Bávaro."

Investigators have not ruled out multiple possibilities regarding what happened to Sudiksha Konanki. Dominican officials told ABC News that she may have drowned after being caught in a wave while swimming.

However, her father, Subbarayudu Konanki, has expressed concerns that authorities are too focused on this theory. He stated to CNN,

"They are only looking in the water, but I want them to also investigate other possibilities including whether this is a case of kidnapping or human trafficking. We do not 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."

The University of Pittsburgh has urged anyone with information to come forward and is providing support to her loved ones. Authorities mentioned in an email statement to CNN,

"University officials are in contact with Sudiksha Konanki’s family as well as authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, and we have offered our full support in their efforts to find her and bring her home safely."

Sudiksha Konanki arrived in the Dominican Republic on March 4, 2025, with five other female students from the University of Pittsburgh. They were planning to spend their spring break in the popular Caribbean destination.

According to her father, she went to a party at the resort on the night of March 5. In the early hours of March 6, she and her friends, along with others they had met, walked to the beach.

Surveillance footage from 4:15 a.m. shows Sudiksha with a group of seven others entering the beach. By 5:55 a.m., five women and one man were seen leaving, but Sudiksha Konanki remained behind with a young man.

At 9:55 a.m., the man was captured on camera leaving the beach alone, with no sign of Konanki. Her friends reported her missing to hotel staff at 4 p.m. that day, nearly 12 hours after she was last seen.

---

Read More

Internet reacts to Cristiano Ronaldo calling his lookalike 'ugly'

Daylight saving time 2025 explained