Man Reported Ex Missing, Then Flew to India; Police Found Her Stabbed Body the Next Day
Police in Maryland have issued an arrest warrant for a 26-year-old man accused of murdering his former girlfriend, whose bloodied body was discovered a day after he reported her missing and fled the country.
The Howard County Police Department said on Sunday, January 4, that an arrest warrant has been issued for Arjun Sharma on charges of first- and second-degree murder in connection with the death of 27-year-old Nikitha Godishala.
Godishala’s body was found on January 3 inside Sharma’s apartment on Twin Rivers Road in Columbia. She had suffered multiple stab wounds. Investigators believe she was killed at around 7pm on New Year’s Eve.
According to police, Sharma contacted authorities on January 2 to report Godishala missing, claiming he had last seen her on December 31 at his apartment. Later that same day, investigators said, he boarded a flight to India.
Howard County police said they are working with US federal law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest Sharma.
Authorities described Godishala as Sharma’s ex-girlfriend, a detail police said was confirmed through multiple sources.
Godishala’s father, Anand Godishala, told the Times of India that the killing may have stemmed from a financial dispute. He said Sharma had previously lived in the same apartment as his daughter but later moved out.
“Nikitha lent him money, and when she asked for it back, he called her to his house and committed the crime,” her father alleged.
Godishala’s cousin, Saraswati, also told the Times of India that Nikitha went to Sharma’s apartment on December 31 to collect money he allegedly owed her.
According to the report, Godishala held a master’s degree in health information technology and had been working as a data and strategy analyst at Vheda Health since February 2025.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek Sharma’s arrest.
