Nikitha Godishala, a 27-year-old from Secunderabad, was found dead in the United States on January 3. Local police in Maryland initially described the accused as her “ex-boyfriend,” but her father, Anand Godishala, speaking to The Indian Express, clarified that he was actually her ex-flatmate, not a romantic partner. The two reportedly had financial disagreements.
Sharma had reportedly borrowed money from Nikitha, and when she asked for it back before he left for India, he attacked her. Anand called for “tough punishment” and requested the Indian and US authorities to help bring back his daughter’s body as soon as possible.
Arjun Sharma, meanwhile, was arrested in Tamil Nadu on Monday following an international manhunt. Howard County police said detectives believe Sharma killed Nikitha and have secured a warrant for his arrest on charges of first- and second-degree murder.
‘Not ex-boyfried’: Nikitha Godishala’s family clarifies relationship with accused
Anand told The Indian Express that Nikitha moved to the US in 2021 for higher studies and later started working there. “It is not right to call the accused her ex-boyfriend. He is her ex-flatmate. Four people used to live in that apartment. After she started working two years ago, she moved to a separate flat. I believe there was some financial disagreement with the accused,” he said.
“He had a habit of borrowing money, and he borrowed from my daughter, too. When she asked him to return the money, I think he asked her to come to his flat, and he attacked her there and fled. I request the Centre and state governments to help us bring back my daughter’s body as soon as possible,” Anand told the Indian Express.
According to Maryland police, Nikitha’s body was discovered in the flat of Arjun Sharma, 26, who allegedly killed her on New Year’s Eve. Sharma reported her missing on January 2 and then fled to India.
Howard County police said in a statement: “Arjun Sharma made the missing person report and said he last saw Nikitha Godishala on December 31 at his apartment on Twin Rivers Road. Police later learned that Sharma left the country the next day. Detectives executed a search warrant on January 3 and found Godishala deceased. Investigators believe she was killed shortly after 7 pm on December 31. The investigation is ongoing, and no motive has been confirmed. Howard County police are working with federal authorities to locate and arrest Sharma.”
The Embassy of India confirmed it is in touch with Nikitha’s family and providing consular assistance.
Money behind Nikitha Godishala’s murder
As reported by India Today, Nikitha’s family has said that Sharma repeatedly demanded money from her and her relatives before her death. In her complaint to the Indian Embassy in the US, her cousin Saraswati Godishala alleged that Sharma carried out unauthorised transactions worth around USD 3,500 (about ₹2.9 lakh) from Nikitha’s bank account.
She said that on December 27, Arjun asked both Nikitha and her for money. Soon after that, Nikitha contacted Saraswati and requested help with around USD 5,000 on Arjun’s behalf. Saraswati said she later refused another demand from Arjun. He had asked for an additional USD 1,000, even though he had not returned USD 1,000 from the USD 4,500 he had already borrowed from her earlier.
She said the total amount owed by Arjun to Nikitha’s family came to USD 4,500 (around Rs 4.07 lakh). In her written complaint, Saraswati said, “I sent him USD 4,500, out of which he returned USD 3,500. On January 2, Arjun contacted me again and asked for another USD 1,000, but I refused.”
Who was Nikitha Godishala?
Nikitha worked as a Data and Strategy Analyst at Vheda Health in Columbia, Maryland. Before this, she worked for Management Sciences for Health as a Data Analysis and Visualisation Specialist.
According to IANS, in India, Nikitha worked at KIMS Hospitals as a Clinical Pharmacist intern for 18 months and later as a Clinical Data Specialist for two years. She completed her pharmacy degree at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, and then moved to the US to pursue a Master’s in Health Information Technology.