Indian-Origin Woman Murdered in US, Accused Arrested in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu: An intensive international manhunt led by Interpol concluded on Monday with the arrest of 26-year-old Arjun Sharma in Tamil Nadu. Sharma is the primary suspect in the brutal New Year’s Eve murder of Nikitha Rao Godishala, an Indian-American data analyst, in Maryland, USA.

The case began on January 2, 2026, when the accused approached the Howard County Police Department to report that Godishala, 27, was missing. 

He claimed to have last seen her on December 31 at his apartment on Twin Rivers Road in Columbia. The investigators found that Sharma had boarded a flight to India on the same day he filed the report.

The detectives entered Sharma's apartment on January 3, where they discovered Nikita's body. Preliminary reports revealed she had suffered multiple stab wounds, leading police to reassess the case as a homicide. Authorities believe she was killed shortly after 7:00 PM on New Year's Eve.

U.S. agencies collaborated with Indian authorities and Interpol to track his movements in India. According to sources, surveillance and intelligence sharing between the FBI and Indian police led to Sharma’s capture in Tamil Nadu.

Nikitha Godishala, originally from Hyderabad, was a professional who moved to the U.S. to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. 

Family members have alleged a financial motive, claiming Sharma had done unauthorised transactions totalling approximately $3,500 from Nikitha’s bank account before fleeing.

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