Nikitha Godishala Murder: Accused Arjun Used To Borrow Money From Her, Claims Victim's Father
Anand, Nikitha's father, said the prime suspect, Arjun Sharma, used to borrow money from several people, including his daughter.
Published : January 5, 2026 at 3:45 PM IST
|Updated : January 5, 2026 at 8:49 PM IST
Hyderabad: The father of 27-year-old IT professional Nikitha Godishala, who was allegedly murdered in the US, has claimed there may have been a financial angle behind her killing and appealed to the state and central governments to help bring her body back to Hyderabad.
Speaking to reporters at his residence in Hyderabad on Monday, Anand Godhishala, Nikitha's father, said the prime suspect, Arjun Sharma, used to borrow money from several people, including his daughter. Anand also clarified that Arjun was not Nikitha's ex-boyfriend, as reported by some media outlets, but her former flatmate in the US.
"Arjun Sharma was Nikitha's former flatmate. She used to share an apartment, along with four others. Arjun used to borrow money from everyone there, including from my daughter," he said, alleging that "there might be some financial reason behind Nikitha's death."
Appealing for official assistance, Anand urged both Centre and Telangana government to intervene to facilitate the repatriation of his daughter's body.
He recounted that he had last spoken to Nikitha over the phone on New Year's Eve. Nikitha, the elder daughter of Anand, had been living in the United States for the past four years and was working as a software professional there.
Earlier on Monday, Interpol authorities arrested Arjun Sharma, 26, in Tamil Nadu, following an alert issued by US agencies. Nikitha was reported missing from Ellicott City in Maryland on January 2, and, according to Howard County Police, was last seen on December 31 at Sharma’s apartment in Columbia, Maryland.
During a search of Sharma's apartment on January 3, police discovered Nikitha’s body with multiple stab wounds, leading investigators to suspect murder.
Detectives revealed that Sharma himself had filed a missing person report on January 2, claiming he had last seen her on December 31, but later learned he had boarded a flight to India the same day.
US authorities subsequently issued an arrest warrant against him on charges of first and second-degree murder. Based on preliminary investigations, police believe Nikitha was murdered shortly after 7 pm on December 31, though the exact motive is yet to be established. US federal agencies are coordinating with Indian authorities on the legal process surrounding Sharma’s arrest and possible extradition.
The Indian Embassy in Washington DC has confirmed that it is in touch with Nikitha’s family, adding that it is extending consular assistance and closely following the case with local law enforcement in the US.
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