Passport Seized: Last Person to See Missing Pitt Student Sudiksha Konanki Under Investigation

The search for Sudiksha Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student who went missing in the Dominican Republic, has taken a dramatic turn. The last person known to have seen her, Joshua Riibe, has had his passport seized by local authorities, according to recent reports.

Riibe, a 22-year-old college senior from Minnesota, was with Konanki on the beach near their RIU Hotel & Resort on March 6, just before she disappeared. The confiscation of his travel documents occurred nearly ten days after the incident, raising questions about his involvement in the case.

Despite the circumstances, Riibe claims he is fully cooperating with the investigation. “I’m just trying to help them out,” he stated in an interview with NBC News. “The ocean is a dangerous place.” His attorneys have confirmed that he is currently under police escort and is required to stay at the hotel while the investigation unfolds.

Riibe is believed to be the last person to have seen Konanki before her disappearance. He recounted that the two had ventured into the water during a late-night outing that included moments of intimacy before they encountered rough waves. “So no, he is not free to leave,” his lawyers emphasized, indicating the seriousness of the situation.

Riibe's parents, Albert and Tina, have expressed concerns about the conditions under which their son has been detained. They described the situation as “irregular,” highlighting the stress and uncertainty surrounding the investigation. Riibe was questioned by the attorney general’s office, where he detailed the events of that fateful night.

Surveillance footage shows Riibe and Konanki walking arm-in-arm with friends toward the beach around 4 a.m. The group remained on the beach until approximately 5:50 a.m., at which point they returned to the hotel, leaving Riibe and Konanki behind. The two then entered the water, where they were quickly swept out to sea by a large wave.

Riibe described a harrowing struggle to resurface, claiming he managed to grab Konanki and pull her closer to shore, despite swallowing a significant amount of seawater in the process. “I was a lifesaver. I grabbed her and pulled her out,” he told authorities, as reported by Dominican Republic’s Noticas Sin.

After getting back to knee-deep water, Riibe recounted that he made it to the beach but became ill from the saltwater he had ingested. His last memory of Konanki was of her walking away to retrieve her belongings before re-entering the water. “The last time I saw her, I asked her if she was OK,” he recalled, but he did not hear her response due to his vomiting.

Riibe eventually passed out on the beach and woke up hours later, returning to his hotel room. Meanwhile, Konanki was reported missing by her friends around 4 p.m. that same day. In the course of the investigation, authorities discovered clothing believed to belong to her near a set of beach chairs at the resort.

Among the items found were a white netted sarong draped over a beach chair and a pair of beige flip-flops, both covered in sand. These items closely resembled the clothing Konanki was seen wearing in surveillance footage from the night she disappeared. Authorities have stated that there were no signs of tampering with the beachwear.

As of now, police have not filed any charges in connection with the case, and the search for Sudiksha Konanki continues. The situation remains tense as investigators work to piece together the events leading up to her disappearance, and the focus remains on finding answers for her family and friends.