Nikhita Godishala Murder: US Suspect Arjun Sharma Traced to Agra

Arjun Sharma (26), wanted in connection with the murder of Hyderabad woman Nikhita Godishala in the United States, was traced and arrested in Agra, police said.

Sharma was initially located during the investigation of a cheating case registered at Lalaguda Police Station in Hyderabad. The complaint was filed in April by Anand Godishala, Nikhita’s father, who alleged that Sharma had borrowed money from his daughter but failed to repay it.

Police said evidence gathered during the investigation helped them trace Sharma to a flat in Agra. A Lalaguda police team travelled to the city, located him and took him into custody before issuing the required notice in the cheating case.

The development came against the backdrop of a murder investigation in the United States involving Nikhita, 27, who was living in Ellicott City, Maryland, and working as a data and strategy analyst.

Nikhita was reported missing on January 2, following which her body was found at an apartment in Columbia, Maryland, where her former roommate, Sharma, had been staying. Howard County Police said she had suffered multiple stab wounds.

Officials informed Nikhita’s family that she was believed to have died at around 7 pm on December 31, 2025. The family was later officially informed that she had sustained multiple stab injuries.

US investigators have alleged that Sharma fled to India after the killing. An arrest warrant was issued against him on charges of first-degree and second-degree murder.

With a US case and a non-bailable warrant pending against Sharma, Hyderabad police alerted central authorities. He was subsequently produced before the Patiala House Court in Delhi, which remanded him to custody in connection with the murder case on August 25.

Nikhita’s parents said Sharma had allegedly borrowed money from Nikhita and her family after losing his job around August-September 2025. They claimed that a financial dispute over the unpaid money had existed between the two before her death.

The family also alleged that Sharma had financial dealings with several other people in the US. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding Nikhita’s murder and Sharma’s subsequent return to India.