Nikitha Godishala, a 27-year-old woman from India, was discovered dead with stab wounds in an apartment the US on January 3. The local police in Maryland initially referred to the suspect as her 'ex-boyfriend', however, her father, Anand Godishala, clarified in an interview with The Indian Express that he was, in fact, her former flatmate rather than a romantic partner. The two, according to her family, were involved in financial disputes.
Speaking to ANI, Anand said that Sharma had borrowed money from Nikitha, and he allegedly killed her when she requested him to return the amount before his departure for India. The victim's father has called for “tough punishment” and has urged both Indian and US authorities to expedite the process of repatriating his daughter's remains as soon as possible.
Nikitha’s body was found in the residence of Arjun Sharma, 26, who is accused of murdering her on New Year’s Eve, as per the Maryland police. Sharma reported her as missing on January 2 and subsequently fled to India.
Also Read: Nikitha Godishala murder case: Ex-boyfriend Arjun Sharma who fled US arrested in Tamil Nadu
Arjun Sharma arrested
Arjun Sharma was apprehended in Tamil Nadu on Monday as a result of an international manhunt. According to the Howard County police, detectives suspect that Sharma is responsible for the murder of Nikitha and have obtained a warrant for his arrest on charges of both first- and second-degree murder.
‘Not right to call the accused her ex-boyfriend,’ says Nikitha's father
{{/usCountry}}Arjun Sharma was apprehended in Tamil Nadu on Monday as a result of an international manhunt. According to the Howard County police, detectives suspect that Sharma is responsible for the murder of Nikitha and have obtained a warrant for his arrest on charges of both first- and second-degree murder.
‘Not right to call the accused her ex-boyfriend,’ says Nikitha's father
{{/usCountry}}Nikitha's father Anand further said that his daughter relocated to the US in 2021 to pursue higher education and then began her professional career there.
“It is not right to call the accused her ex-boyfriend. He is her ex-flatmate. Four people used to live in that apartment. After she started working two years ago, she moved to a separate flat. I believe there was some financial disagreement with the accused,” Anand stated to the Indian Express.
“He had a habit of borrowing money, and he borrowed from my daughter, too. When she asked him to return the money, I think he asked her to come to his flat, and he attacked her there and fled. I request the Centre and state governments to help us bring back my daughter’s body as soon as possible.”
Nikitha Godishala murder: Was money the motive behind her death?
Nikitha's cousin, Saraswati Godishala, reiterated the assertion in her complaint to the Indian Embassy in the US, alleging that Sharma executed unauthorized transactions totaling approximately USD 3,500 (around ₹2.9 lakh) from Nikitha's bank account.
According to her statement, three days prior to the alleged murder, Arjun had solicited financial assistance from both Saraswati and Nikitha. Nikitha reached out to Saraswati, seeking assistance of about $5,000 on behalf of Arjun. Saraswati reportedly declined to provide the funds, yet Arjun made another request.
“I sent him USD 4,500, out of which he returned USD 3,500. On January 2, Arjun contacted me again and asked for another USD 1,000, but I refused,” she stated in the complaint.
He had requested an extra $1,000, despite not having returned the full amount of $5,500 that he had previously borrowed from her.
She asserted that Arjun owed nearly $4,500 (approximately ₹4.07 lakh) to Nikitha, who was employed as a Data and Strategy Analyst at Vheda Health after completing her MS in the United States.
The police in the US have secured a warrant for Sharma's arrest on charges of first and second-degree murder, accusing him of killing her and then fleeing to India.
However, police are yet to reveal the motive behind her killing as investigation continues.