Authorities are questioning a “young man” who was seen swimming with University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki before her disappearance from a beach in Punta Cana. The pair had been spotted swimming together near the Riu Republica Resort before Konanki was last seen going for a walk in a brown bikini just after 4 a.m. on March 6, as reported by Dominican Republic outlet Listin Diario. Konanki, 20, went missing while walking on the beach during her spring break trip with classmates from Pitt. Surveillance footage captured her and her friends near the beach before her disappearance, and they are currently being interviewed by police to verify the man’s account. It remains unclear if the man in question is one of her classmates. Konanki, an Indian national from Chantilly, Virginia, is described as 5-foot-3 with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing bracelets on both arms and an anklet, along with the distinctive brown bikini. Search efforts, including helicopters, drones, and ground crews, are underway near the beach to locate any clues about her disappearance. Authorities from Virginia, the Indian embassy, and the University of Pittsburgh are collaborating in the search. The university is offering full support to Konanki’s family and authorities in Loudoun County, Virginia. A photograph taken before her disappearance shows Konanki smiling at a Punta Cana resort, dressed in the same bikini she was last seen wearing.
