Indian woman found dead with stab wounds in US city; police allege former boyfriend killed her, fled to India

Las Vegas/New York: A 27-year old Indian woman, Nikitha Godishala, who went missing last week was found dead and police are looking for her former boyfriend, alleging that he killed her and fled to India.

Godishala of Ellicott City was reported missing on January 2 by her former boyfriend Arjun Sharma, 26.

Police later learned that soon after filing the missing person's complaint, Sharma left the country on a flight to India. Howard County polic detectives executed a search warrant for his apartment and discovered Godishala's body with stab wounds.

The Indian Embassy in Washington DC said in a post on X that it is in contact with Godishala’s family and is extending all possible consular assistance.

“The Embassy is also following up the matter with the local authorities,” it said.

Through investigation, detectives believe Sharma killed Godishala 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 to locate and arrest Sharma.

Who was Nikitha Godishala

Godishala was a Data and Strategy Analyst at Vheda Health in Columbia, Maryland. She joined the firm in February 2025, and in less than a year, she received the "All-In Award" for her performance.

Earlier she also worked at the Management Sciences for Health for over a year as a Data Analysis and Visualisation Specialist (Technical Advisor). She started working in the US after she completed her Master's from Maryland University's Baltimore County campus.

Her professional profile said she moved to US sometime in 2022 and before that worked in Telanagana's KIMS hospital as clinical data specialist for 2 years.