Sudiksha Konanki Case: New Bar Video And Beach Clues Fuel Mystery Around Missing Indian Student in Dominican Republic

New Delhi:  A newly surfaced video has added a fresh twist to the mysterious disappearance of 20-year-old Sudiksha Konanki in the popular Dominican Republic tourist town of Punta Cana. The University of Pittsburgh student, missing since earlier this month, was allegedly captured on camera at a bar just before she vanished.

The footage, shared by Dominican outlet Noticia SIN, reportedly shows Konanki with a group of friends, including Joshua Riibe—the man now identified as a “person of interest” in the case. In the video, a woman believed to be Konanki is seen putting her hand to her mouth before stepping away to hunch over a grassy area. Moments later, she appears to regain her energy, excitedly jumping and hugging a friend.

Meanwhile, a man dressed in white, believed to be Riibe, is seen outside the bar appearing distressed as another individual tries to comfort him. Both Konanki and Riibe are wearing the same outfits as seen in previously released surveillance footage of them walking arm-in-arm less than two hours before her disappearance.  

The development comes just hours after a sarong and flip-flops, believed to belong to Konanki, were found on a Dominican Republic beach.  

For the unversed, Konanki, a 20-year-old Indian student went missing while on vacation in the Dominican Republic, leading US federal law enforcement to join forces with local officials in the probe. Sudiksha Konanki, who holds Indian citizenship and is a permanent resident of the United States, was last spotted during the early hours of March 6.

A University of Pittsburgh student, Konanki was in Punta Cana for spring break with five female college friends when she went missing.

On Monday, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) stated that it is actively supporting US federal agencies as they coordinate with the Dominican National Police to determine her whereabouts and investigate the circumstances of her disappearance.

Officials continue to investigate as questions mount over the timeline leading up to her disappearance.