PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — The father of a 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student from Virginia who went missing in the popular Dominican Republic tourist town of Punta Cana while on spring break with friends said he has asked authorities to widen their investigation.
Sudiksha Konanki was last seen before dawn on March 6 at a beach near the resort where she was staying, according to Civil Defense officials, who said the search for her continued on Sunday.
“It’s four days, and if she was in water, she would likely have been strewn to shore,” Subbarayudu Konanki, her father, told WTOP-FM. “She’s not found, so we’re asking them to investigate multiple options, like kidnapping or abduction.”
University of Pittsburgh officials are in contact with the family and authorities in Virginia, and have offered their support in the efforts to find the missing student and bring her home safely, the school said in a statement.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia said in a statement that it’s working with federal officials and university police in support of the Dominican National Police investigation involving the student. Sudiksha Konanki, a citizen of India, is a U.S. permanent resident from Chantilly, Virginia, the sheriff’s office said.
Subbarayudu Konanki told WTOP-FM that his daughter and five female friends from the university traveled to the resort on the island’s east coast.
“For spring break she wanted to have a nice break with her friends in Punta Cana — she came with her friends on March 3rd,” he said.
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When they learned of her disappearance, Konanki and his wife Sreedevi flew to Punta Cana with two family friends. The investigation has focused in and around the water and on Sunday, Konanki and a family friend filed a record of complaint, asking authorities to widen the investigation.
The complaint notes that the student’s belongings, including her phone and wallet, were left with her friends, “which is unusual because she always carried her phone with her.”
“In light of these circumstances, I respectfully request that the authorities take immediate steps to investigate not only the possibility of an accidental drowning, but also the possibility of a kidnapping or foul play,” Konanki wrote.