University of Pittsburgh pre-med student missing in Dominican Republic

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The search continues days after 20-year old University of Pittsburgh pre-med student, Sudiksha Konanki, went missing in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic (DR) where she was on spring break with her five friends.

While DR’s Police Department has officially declared the missing as accidental drowning, Konanki’s parents and family are finding that hard to believe as her body would have washed up ashore after so many days if that was the case.

ABC News has quoted 3 local officials to have seen Konanki with six other people on the night of March 5 on the surveillance camera. After some time, Konanki was left alone on the beach with one person with whom she was seen going in for a swim at 4:15 am on Friday, while the rest of the group went back to the Riu Republic Resort where they were staying. That was last that Konanki was seen.

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According to Konanki’s father, his daughter and her friends went to the beach around 4:00 am with some people they had met at the resort. Konanki and others were spotted on surveillance footage near the beach shortly before she went missing, CNN reported.

An extensive search involving helicopters, boats and foot has been combing the region soon after Konanki’s friends reported her as missing at 4:00 pm on Thursday after they did not find her in her room, according to reports.

Public Ministry Officials have said they have questioned the friends and the person who Konanki was left alone with. Konanki’s clothes were found on a portable bed with no signs of foul play, according to the latest reports.

While the DR Public Ministry is convinced Konanki drowned, her parents have filed a complaint to intensify search for her. According to WTOP reports, there is a suspicion that there might be a crime, specifically the possibility of kidnapping.

DR Police are assisted by agencies from Konanki’s hometown in Loudoun County in Virginia, and by the Indian Embassy in the DR.  Konanki, a legal permanent resident in the US, was an Indian citizen. As such, DR Police are also being assisted by the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the University of Pittsburgh police, according to the Lou Doun County sheriff’s office. In DR, the Civil Defense, local firefighters, Police, Navy and National Police are heading the search. Konanki’s parents have already left for Punta Cana, according to reports.

In the meantime, the family and friends are posting requests on Facebook and other social media to get help finding her.

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