An Indian man wanted in connection with a deadly New Year’s Eve stabbing of his ex-roommate in the United States has been taken into custody after fleeing to India, police have confirmed. Arjun Sharma (26), the suspect in the murder of Nikitha Godishala (27), was tracked down to a flat in Agra by a team from Hyderabad police during the investigation of a cheating case registered based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s father, Anand Godishala.
Police described Sharma as Godishala’s ex-boyfriend, but her father told the media that the two were roommates and that he believed her killing was financially motivated.
The Howard County Police Department announced that it has been notified by international authorities that Sharma is now in custody in India and is expected to be extradited to the US. But police did not have a timeline for his return. Godishala, a resident of Ellicott City in America, was reported missing on January 2.
Howard County police said that she was found dead with stab wounds in the Columbia, Maryland, apartment of her ex-roommate, Arjun Sharma. Police described Sharma as Godishala’s ex-boyfriend, but her father told the media that the two were roommates and that he believed her killing was financially motivated.
Case In India
They say financial disputes involving money allegedly owed to Nikitha existed before her death and that Sharma also had financial dealings with others in the United States, the statement added. Godishala’s family was officially informed by authorities in India on January 4 that Nikitha had sustained multiple stab wounds and that her death is believed to have occurred on December 31, 2025. Sharma lost his employment around August–September 2025 and subsequently borrowed money from Godishala and her family members, according to her parents.
Sharma was arrested following the execution of non-bailable warrants and was taken into custody by a Delhi court, a statement from the family read, according to information communicated to the family and subsequent court proceedings.
