A 20-year-old Indian student, India has vanished while vacationing in the Dominican Republic, prompting a collaborative investigation between U.S. federal law enforcement and local authorities in the Caribbean nation.
Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student and permanent U.S. resident, was enjoying a spring break trip with five female college friends at a resort in Punta Cana when she disappeared on March 6, according to a statement from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) released on Monday.
Hailing from Loudoun County, Virginia, Konanki was last seen in the early hours of March 6 near the beach by her resort. The LCSO emphasized that the investigation is multifaceted, involving extensive searches, analysis of surveillance footage, phone records, and interviews with individuals who may have encountered her before she went missing. To amplify the effort globally, the LCSO has requested INTERPOL to issue a Yellow Notice, a worldwide alert for missing persons.
Dominican officials, as reported by ABC News, said that "over the weekend that Konanki is believed to have drowned in the ocean," The report further quoted two police sources with knowledge of the investigation as saying that Konanki's clothes were discovered on a “portable beach bed close to the beach where she went missing”.
However, the LCSO urged caution against jumping to conclusions, stating, “We are committed to a thorough investigation before any conclusions are reached and caution against unsubstantiated speculation.” No evidence of violence has surfaced, according to sources cited by ABC News.
Details from the night of her disappearance reveal that Konanki and her group visited a nightclub on March 5 before heading to the beach around 4 a.m. on March 6. Security footage shows her friends returning to their hotel rooms by 5:55 am, while Konanki remained on the beach with an unidentified man, per a Dominican Republic police report cited by ABC News.
The man told investigators they went swimming and were caught by a strong wave. He claimed that after returning to shore, he vomited, fell asleep on a beach bed, and awoke to find Konanki gone. Security video later captured him returning to his hotel at 9:55 am. Authorities have not classified him as a suspect, and Konanki’s friends, questioned by police, face no charges.
The LCSO remains optimistic about Konanki’s safe return, pledging full support to her family and the investigation. They are partnering with the U.S. Department of State, FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, University of Pittsburgh Police, and the Dominican National Police to determine Konanki's whereabouts and what may have happened to her.
(With PTI Inputs)
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