A 27-year-old Indian woman who was reported missing last week has been found dead in the United States, with police alleging that her former boyfriend killed her and fled to India.
Nikitha Godishala of Ellicott City was reported missing on January 2. Howard County police said in a statement on Sunday that she was found deceased with stab wounds inside the Columbia, Maryland apartment of her ex-boyfriend, Arjun Sharma, 26.
Police have obtained an arrest warrant for Sharma on charges of first- and second-degree murder.
Authorities said Sharma himself filed the missing person report on January 2, telling officers that he last saw Godishala on December 31 at his apartment in the Maryland city. Investigators later learned that Sharma left the country for India on the same day he reported her missing.
On January 3, detectives executed a search warrant at Sharma’s apartment and discovered Godishala’s body with stab wounds. Through their investigation, police believe Sharma killed her shortly after 7 pm on December 31.
“The investigation is ongoing and no motive is known at this time,” Howard County police said, adding that they are working with United States federal law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest Sharma.
The Indian Embassy in Washington DC said it is in contact with Godishala’s family and is providing assistance. “The Embassy is also following up the matter with the local authorities,” it said in a post on X.
Notably, the United States and India have an extradition treaty that allows cooperation in serious criminal cases, though such proceedings typically involve court reviews and diplomatic coordination and can take several months.
