NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Ellicott City, MD, January 5, 2025: Nikitha Godishala, a 27-year-old Indian national and healthcare data professional from Ellicott City, Maryland, was killed on New Year’s Eve, according to police. Her ex-boyfriend, Arjun Sharma, 26, filed a missing-person report before fleeing the United States and was later arrested in India after an international manhunt involving U.S. federal agencies and Indian authorities.
According to the Howard County Police Department, Sharma reported Godishala missing on January 2, telling officers that he last saw her on December 31 at his apartment in the 10100 block of Twin Rivers Road in Columbia.
Police said that during the investigation, detectives obtained a search warrant for the apartment. On January 3, officers located Godishala deceased inside the residence, suffering from stab wounds. Investigators believe she was killed on December 31. The death is being investigated as a homicide, and authorities have said no motive has been established at this time.
Shortly after filing the missing-person report, Sharma left the United States on a flight to India, police said. Howard County detectives subsequently obtained an arrest warrant, charging him with first- and second-degree murder.
U.S. federal law-enforcement agencies coordinated with Indian authorities to track Sharma after his departure. Sources said Interpol police arrested him in Tamil Nadu, following sustained surveillance and information-sharing between agencies. Formal extradition proceedings are expected to follow, officials said.
Godishala was a healthcare and data professional. She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in India before moving to the United States. She later completed a master’s degree in Health Information Technology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Professionally, she worked as a data and strategy analyst with a Maryland-based healthcare organization, where she focused on health systems, analytics, and data-driven improvement initiatives. Friends and colleagues have described her as driven, intelligent, and deeply committed to building a career in healthcare technology.
The Indian Embassy in the United States has confirmed that it is in contact with Godishala’s family and is providing consular assistance.
Howard County Police said the investigation remains ongoing
Photo courtesy: iamnikkig/IG
