Punta Cana/New Delhi, Mar 18 (UNI) The parents of Sudiksha Konanki, a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student who has been missing since March 6 in Punta Cana, a resort in the Dominican Republic, have formally requested Dominican authorities to declare her deceased after extensive search efforts yielded no results.

According to Diario Libre, Subbarayudu and SreeDevi Konanki expressed confidence in the ongoing investigation, noting that the last person seen with their daughter has cooperated, and no foul play has been detected, Dominican Today reported.

Konanki disappeared while at a beach near the Riu República hotel with 22-year-old American Joshua Riibe. Surveillance footage captured her walking to the beach with friends, who later left while she remained behind with Riibe.

Legal proceedings continue, with a habeas corpus hearing scheduled for Riibe’s lawyers seeking to prevent his detention.

President Luis Abinader acknowledged the case’s prominence due to international media coverage.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso emphasized that authorities are exploring all possibilities beyond an accident, using all available resources. The incident has drawn significant attention, particularly given the Dominican Republic’s reliance on tourism.

Meanwhile, Riibe’s attorneys have filed a habeas corpus petition seeking his release in connection with the investigation into the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki. A hearing for the petition is scheduled for Tuesday.

Riibe is under investigation as the last known person to see Sudiksha Konanki before her disappearance at the RIU República Hotel in Punta Cana.

According to Riibe’s testimony, he and Konanki entered the ocean early in the morning, and she may have been swept away by the current. However, inconsistencies in his statements have raised concerns among investigators.

UNI RN