

Indian woman Nikitha Godishala, missing since New Year’s Eve, was found stabbed to death in her ex-boyfriend’s Maryland apartment.
Ex-boyfriend Arjun Sharma filed the missing report and flew to India the same day; he is now wanted on murder charges.
US authorities are coordinating with federal agencies to trace the suspect as the investigation continues.
Police found the body of an Indian woman who went missing on New Year’s Eve in her ex-boyfriend’s apartment in Maryland, United States. The victim has been identified as Nikitha Godishala, and the body was discovered on 3 January 2026, inside an apartment in the 10100 block of Twin Rivers Road, which was owned by her former partner, Arjun Sharma.
Police said that Arjun Sharma himself filed a missing person report for Nikitha on 2 January 2026, stating that he last saw her on 31 December 2025. He later flew to India on the same day, as confirmed by the authorities. U.S. law enforcement agencies are now working with federal authorities to trace and apprehend the accused through coordinated efforts, said a media release issued by the Howard County Police.
Detectives later executed a search warrant at the apartment, where they found the body with stab wounds. Reports suggest that she was killed around 7 p.m. on 31 December 2025, New Year’s Eve. The suspect, Arjun Sharma, 27, is now wanted on first- and second-degree murder charges. Under U.S. law, first-degree murder involves premeditation, while second-degree murder refers to intentional killing without prior planning. The investigation is underway, and the motive behind the murder has yet to be established.
The 26-year-old victim was a data and strategy analyst from Ellicott City, Maryland. She held experience across the fields of pharmacy, clinical research, health information technology, and data management. She completed her Master’s degree in Health Information Technology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County after securing a pharmacy degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in India. She was skilled in data analytics, dashboard development, healthcare regulatory compliance such as HIPAA, and tools including SQL, Tableau, Power BI, and Python.
The Embassy of India in the United States has been assisting with the case while remaining in contact with Godishala’s family. In a statement, it said, “The Embassy is also following up the matter with the local authorities.”
(SY)
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