A 27-year-old Indian woman, Nikitha Rao Godishala, was found dead with stab wounds inside the apartment of her former boyfriend in Maryland, United States. Authorities have charged her ex-partner, Arjun Sharma, 26, with first- and second-degree murder and are searching for him after he allegedly fled to India.
According to investigators, Sharma filed a missing person complaint on January 2, claiming he last saw Godishala on December 31 at his apartment in Maryland City. Police later determined that Sharma left the United States for India the same day the complaint was lodged.
On January 3, detectives executed a search at Sharma’s residence, where they discovered Godishala dead. Based on preliminary findings, investigators believe she was killed shortly after 7 pm on December 31.
Police said Sharma has been formally charged, and efforts are underway to locate and arrest him.
Who Was Nikitha Godishala?
Godishala was employed as a Data and Strategy Analyst at Vheda Health in Columbia, Maryland. She joined the organisation in February 2025 and received the company’s “All-In Award” within a year for her performance. She lived in Ellicott City in Howard County.
Sharing the achievement on LinkedIn, Godishala wrote: “This award is a reminder of the purpose and responsibility I carry forward. I’m excited to continue contributing with intention, creativity, and that same “all-in” energy that brought me here. Here’s to growing, building, and stepping into 2026 with momentum.”
Prior to joining Vheda Health, Godishala worked at Management Sciences for Health as a Data Analysis and Visualisation Specialist (Technical Advisor) for over a year. She was also associated with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, between June 2022 and May 2023.
Before moving to the United States, Godishala worked in India at Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospitals, where she served as a Clinical Pharmacist intern for around 18 months and later as a Clinical Data Specialist for two years.
Godishala studied pharmacy at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University from June 2015 to September 2021 and subsequently pursued a master’s degree in health information technology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she was proficient in English, Hindi and Telugu, and described herself as being “driven by a passion for leveraging data-driven insights to optimise healthcare systems and improve patient outcomes.”
