Family of Missing Indian Student Seeks Closure in Dominican Republic

The family of Sudiksha Konanki, a missing 20-year-old Indian student, has requested the Dominican Republic police to declare her dead. Last seen on March 6, Konanki vanished while on vacation. Authorities have confiscated the passport of the last person with her, though foul play is not suspected.

The family of Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old Indian student who disappeared while on vacation in the Dominican Republic, has requested local officials to declare her deceased, according to reports from U.S. media.

Konanki, who is an Indian citizen and a permanent U.S. resident, was last spotted on March 6 at the Riu Republic Resort in Punta Cana. Despite an exhaustive search operation, her whereabouts remain unknown, prompting her family to seek a formal declaration of death. The Dominican Republic National Police received a letter from the family, with spokesperson Diego Pesqueira confirming the communication.

Investigations are ongoing, with no suspects in custody, though the passport of Joshua Steven Riibe, the last person seen with Konanki, has been seized. Riibe, a U.S. student, has cooperated with the authorities. Surveillance footage captured Konanki with friends before her disappearance, and U.S. law enforcement has stated the case is still being treated as a missing persons incident.

(With inputs from agencies.)