An international manhunt for the murderer of Nikitha Godishala, a 27-year-old Indian-American woman from Maryland, ended Monday with the arrest of her suspected ex-boyfriend, who had fled the United States just days earlier.
India Today reported on January 5 that Interpol arrested Arjun Sharma, 26, in Tamil Nadu. The Howard County Police Department (Md.) previously issued a search warrant for his arrest on first- and second-degree murder charges.
According to HCPD, Sharma filed a missing person report on January 2, saying he had not seen or spoken with Godishala since December 31. After speaking with police, Sharma reportedly left the U.S. and flew to India. Details such as Sharma’s immigration status and whether he has family in India remained unknown as of publication.
RIP 🙏
A heartbreaking incident. Nikitha Godishala, 27, from Ellicott City, Maryland, was found dead following a stabbing.
Her ex boyfriend, Arjun Sharma, filed the missing report and fled to India the same day. Police have now named him as the suspect and believe Nikitha was… pic.twitter.com/sAzXDz7s2E
— M9 USA🇺🇸 (@M9USA_) January 4, 2026
Detectives discovered Godishala deceased on Saturday, January 3. HCPD announced that they believe Sharma killed Godishala shortly after 7 p.m. on December 31; she was found with stab wounds in his apartment.
No suspected motive for Godishala’s death had been confirmed as of publication. However, her father, Anand Godishala, told ANI that he believes Sharma killed Godishala for financial reasons.
“Four people used to stay in an apartment,” Godishala said. “Her ex-roommate used to take a lot of money from my daughter. When she asked him to return the money before he flew to India, he killed her and ran away.”
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: On his daughter’s body was reportedly found with stab wounds inside her former partner’s apartment in Columbia, Maryland, Nikitha Godishala’s father, Anand Godishala, says, “Four people used to stay in an apartment. Her ex-roommate used to take a… pic.twitter.com/Ws7Ie7LMoX
— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2026
Although HCPD referred to Sharma as Godishala’s ex-boyfriend, her father said they were only roommates rather than romantic partners. It is unknown if Sharma told HCPD that the two had previously been involved in a relationship. As of publication, none of Godishala’s other roommates had publicly spoken out. At the time of her death, Godishala reportedly lived alone in Ellicott City, Md.
The Indian Embassy in the United States had previously confirmed it was in touch with Godishala’s family.
“The Embassy is in contact with the family of Ms. Nikitha Godishala and is extending all possible consular assistance,” the Embassy said over the weekend. “The Embassy is also following up [on] the matter with the local authorities.”
According to Godishala’s LinkedIn, she had worked as a data and strategy analyst for Vheda Health in Columbia, Md., since February 2025. She obtained her master’s degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, after previously studying at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad, India.
Godishala described herself online as a “result-oriented professional” driven “by a passion for leveraging data-driven insights to optimize healthcare systems and improve patient outcomes.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
