Parents of Missing Indian Student Urge Officials to Declare Her Dead

The family of 20-year-old Indian student Sudiksha Konanki, who has been missing in the Dominican Republic, have asked authorities there to declare her dead, as per reports from US media. 

She was last spotted on March 6th at the Riu Republic Resort located in the Dominican Republic. Konanki remains missing on a trip to Dominican Republic and now federal agencies in the US are assisting authorities in that Caribbean nation in the investigation involving her disappearance.

Up to this point, a body has not been found in the searches that have been made. Diego Pesqueira, spokesperson of the National Police of the Dominican Republic claimed that the family of Konanki has sent a request to the agency in question through a letter, notifying them of the request to declare death, as reported by NBC news. Konanki family did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

At the same time, other authorities of the Dominican Republic have reportedly detained the man who is the last known person to be with Konanki and confiscated his passport, a source close to the investigation has told CNN News.

A Dominican Republic source informed that Attorney General of the country, Yeni Berenice Reynoso, has already interrogated Joshua Steven Riibe for more than six hours, and is expecting interrogation questioning to proceed with a local prosecutor later. Currently, Riibe has not been placed under any form suspicion or accusation in this case. There is no public information available as to why his passport has been taken away. Since March 6 th, when Konanki first went missing, and over the course of Riibe’s time on surveilance as a police suspect in the Doimican Republic, he has been brought to the police station for questioning on multiple occasions, his parents have said. This 22 year old from Rock Rapids, Iowa studying at St. Cloud State University has been staying in Minnesota for a while now. 

Konanki’s family admitted, through a formal letter sent on Monday, that after looking into her presumed death, there isn’t any foul play involved. This follows the reported sighting of her disappearing from a beach located on Punta Cana in the early hours of March 6, the New York Post published. 

The father and mother explained that they trust the authorities but are also concerned byestw of Riibe as it appears that he was the last person alive saw her. The couple confirmed knowing he had cooperated with tbe authorities which, as sources tell, made it possible for the investigated thorough the construction of the case.

In the same letter with their request, Konanki’s parents said that they realize some processes have to be legally done, but that they are ready to undertake any steps or paperwork necessary. ABC News cited sources who reported this. As per his accounts, it was informed to him by ABC News. Before the end of the letter, Konanki’s father appeared to be forgiving of the college student’s mistake. He also provided an additional statement which indicated her mother is actively participating in the search for his daughter. The day she goes missing, Mr. Riibe told reporters that his ex-wife received photographs of their daughter wearing a black swimsuit. He last saw his daughter wearing a black bikini. She literally lost everything angry Mr. Riibe expressed in frustration. Mr. Riibe, who is known as Michael and is a resident of paradise, explained to the reporters how bewildering her assignment is recalling it as a bygone time. This frustrated man was frustrated also. Mr Riibe said that in the few months, she altered her identity completely. Mr. Riibe said his daughter once had an apartment in Reston and had been living and working in Morocco prior to returning home. A month ago, she got out of a two month rehab in Cheetah’s. A few weeks ago, you cross the sea and land in New York. I don’t like New York, it’s always so cold. A week before traveling my plan was to spend a few days enjoying the warm weather before cooling down and venturing to Los Angeles, but as the weeks escaped me, changed. Mr. Riibe said He has a piece of land I generously built a house on, he refers frequently to Southern California. At the recent expansion of Alex Bogomolets at the airport, I realized that settled in the United States having something similar to what you expanded in Ukraine at the time.

The police reported that at 4:15 am, a surveillance camera caught the group, which included Konanki, entering the beach. According to two sources familiar with the investigation who spoke to CNN, surveillance footage shows a man and five women leaving the beach around 5 am, and Konanki was not with them. During his fourth interview with prosecutors on Wednesday, Riibe recounted a tragic experience of trying to rescue Konanki after the wave threw them around and she became exhausted from swimming. 

Domincan authorities have claimed that no one is a suspect regarding Konanki's disappearance. Authorities from the US have stated it is a case of a missing person rather than a suspect criminal case.