(Image source from: TimesNow)
The worldwide search by Interpol for the person who killed a Telugu woman came to an end in Tamil Nadu after Arjun Sharma was taken into custody. He is accused of murdering Nikita Godishala in the United States and escaping to India shortly after the crime, according to sources. Nikitha Rao Godishala, a 27-year-old Indian-American data analyst living in Maryland, was reported missing on January 2 after her ex-boyfriend, Arjun Sharma, told the Howard County Police that he last saw her on New Year's Eve. This report raised concerns. The police confirmed that Sharma, who is 26 years old, had traveled from the U. S. to India on the same day he reported her missing. He was arrested on Monday, and more details about the arrest are still unknown. The police later obtained a warrant to search Sharma's apartment on Twin Rivers Road in Columbia, Maryland. On January 3, they discovered Godishala’s body inside that apartment.
Authorities stated that she had multiple stab wounds, indicating a brutal attack. The case was then classified as a homicide, with investigators viewing it as a possible domestic issue. The Howard County Police obtained arrest warrants for Sharma, accusing him of both first-degree and second-degree murder. The reason for the murder is still being looked into. Godishala had been employed as a Data and Strategy Analyst at Vheda Health since February 2025 and had recently been honored with the company’s “All-In Award,” according to family sources. She was residing in Ellicott City, Maryland, and was said to be living on her own at the time of her death. U. S. federal agencies worked together with Indian officials to track Sharma after he left the country. Sources noted that Interpol officials arrested him in Tamil Nadu after thorough surveillance and collaboration between various agencies.
There are plans for formal extradition processes to begin. As the case received more attention, the Indian Embassy in the U. S. stated that it was in contact with Godishala's family and providing them with needed support. “The Embassy is in touch with Ms Nikitha Godishala’s family and is offering all possible consular help. The Embassy is also keeping in contact with local authorities about the situation,” reported the Embassy. Officials also clarified on social media, stating that the person seen in a circulating photo related to the case is not a suspect.
