Indian student in US goes missing on trip to Dominican; search underway

A 20-year-old Indian-origin student, Sudiksha Konanki, has gone missing from a resort in the Dominican Republic. She was on a spring break trip with friends from the University of Pittsburgh, US, when she disappeared.

 

Konanki was last seen on March 6 at around 4 am on the beach of the Riu Republica Hotel in Punta Cana. Her friends reported her missing about 12 hours later, at 4 pm the same day. The Indian Embassy in the Dominican Republic has assured that they are in touch with Konanki’s parents and are helping with the search.

 

Authorities in the Dominican Republic, including police and rescue teams, have searched the area extensively. Helicopters and other tools have been used to look for her in the water, nearby bushes, and surrounding areas. However, she has not been found yet.

 

 

Konanki’s father, Subbarayudu Konanki, has urged authorities to consider other possibilities, such as kidnapping and human trafficking, instead of just focusing on the beach and water. He revealed that his daughter had gone to a beach party with friends and some other people they met at the resort but never returned.

 

The University of Pittsburgh has also issued a statement saying they are in contact with Konanki’s family and authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia, where she lived. The university has offered full support to efforts aimed at finding her and bringing her home safely. The search for Sudiksha Konanki continues.

Killings of Indian students in US

 

According to multiple media reports, in 2024, at least 11 Indian students lost their lives in the US under various circumstances, some natural and others mysterious. For instance, Mohammed Abdul Arfath, a 25-year-old student from Hyderabad enrolled in a master's program at Cleveland State University, was found dead in Ohio. 

 

In another incident, Vivek Saini, a 25-year-old Indian student pursuing a master’s degree in computer science at the University of West Georgia, was killed on January 3, 2024, in Georgia. He was working at a convenience store when he was attacked and killed by a drug addict named Julian Faulkner. 

 

In one more such instance in the US, Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old graduate student from India, was fatally struck by a Seattle Police Department vehicle on January 23, 2023. The officer was responding to a call and was driving at 119 kmph in a 40 kmph speed limit zone without a continuous siren. Kandula was crossing the street in a marked crosswalk when she was hit and thrown 138 feet, resulting in her death. The incident sparked outrage, especially after body camera footage revealed another officer making insensitive remarks about her death