The RIU Hotels & Resorts chain stated during the preventive habeas corpus hearing filed by U.S. citizen Joshua Steven Riibe that it has been a «victim» of the legal process following the disappearance of Indian-born Sudiksha Konanki.
Hipólito Sánchez, the hotel’s attorney, told the judge of the Penal Chamber in Higüey, La Altagracia, that the resort is not a detention center but a hotel, emphasizing that it is a «victim of the process.»
During the hearing, the hotel’s legal team requested its exclusion from the case, asserting that the establishment has no connection or vested interest in the incident.
Meanwhile, Joshua Riibe’s defense requested modifications to the charges, withdrawing the request for a financial penalty to be imposed on the hotel.
The resort was where Sudiksha Konanki Chowdary, a medical student at the University of Pittsburgh, was staying.
The hotel’s beach was the last known location where she was seen alongside 22-year-old Riibe.
Sudiksha, 20 years old, was reported missing on March 6, 2025, during a spring break trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
According to Dominican authorities, she arrived in the country on March 3 with a group of friends.
The case has mobilized multiple law enforcement agencies, including the National Police, the Central Directorate of Investigations (Dicrim), the Tourist Police (Politur), the Dominican Navy, and the Dominican Air Force.
Additionally, the Civil Defense and Fire Department have been conducting search operations in the Uvero Alto-Macao, Macao-Playa Arena Gorda, and Cortecito-Playa Arena Gorda areas.
Efforts have also been reinforced by U.S. agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Likewise, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) became involved in the case after issuing a Yellow Notice for Sudiksha’s disappearance.
According to Interpol’s official website, these notices are issued «to help locate missing persons, often minors, or to assist in identifying individuals who cannot identify themselves.»