The tragic death of 27-year-old Nikitha Godishala in Maryland has taken a complex turn. Her family has corrected initial reports and detail a motive rooted in financial betrayal. While local US police originally identified the suspect, 26-year-old Arjun Sharma, as her "ex-boyfriend," Nikitha’s father, Anand Godishala, clarified that Sharma was actually a former flatmate. According to the family, the two were never romantically involved, but Nikitha had been struggling to recover significant sums of money she had lent him.
Anand Godishala explained that his daughter, who moved to the US in 2021 and worked as a Data and Strategy Analyst, had a habit of helping Sharma out. He believes Sharma lured Nikitha to his apartment under the guise of returning the money before his planned flight to India, only to attack her and flee the country. The family’s claims are backed by a complaint from Nikitha’s cousin, Saraswati, who alleged that Sharma owed the victim roughly $4,500 and had even made unauthorised transactions from her bank account totalling $3,500.
The timeline of the crime is chilling. Maryland police believe Sharma murdered Nikitha on New Year’s Eve, yet he had the audacity to report her missing to authorities on January 2 to buy himself time. By the time her body was discovered with multiple stab wounds in his apartment on January 3, Sharma had already boarded a flight to India.
His run ended on Monday when an international manhunt led to his arrest in Tamil Nadu. With Howard County police having already secured warrants for first- and second-degree murder, the focus has now shifted to the legal process of extradition. Meanwhile, back in India, Nikitha’s grieving parents are pleading with the government to cut through the red tape and help bring her remains home so they can perform her final rites. "He needs the toughest punishment possible," her father told reporters, "but right now, we just want our daughter back."
Also read: Indian who fled US after killing ex-girlfriend held in Tamil Nadu
Follow us
