Howard County police in Maryland of US reported that 27-year-old Nikitha Godishala, an Indian woman healthcare professional, was allegedly found stabbed to death inside an apartment, reported the IANS.
The incident was reported in Columbia on January 3. The apartment belonged to her former partner, 26-year-old Arjun Sharma, also from India.
Authorities confirmed that Godishala had been killed shortly after 7 pm on December 31, New Year’s Eve.
No motive has been identified yet, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Howard County police said an arrest warrant has been issued following the discovery, charging Sharma with both first and second-degree murder. In a statement, the department said it is coordinating with US federal law enforcement agencies as efforts continue to locate and apprehend the suspect, as per the IANS.
Sharma reported Godishala missing on January 2, stating that he last saw her on December 31 at his Twin Rivers Road apartment. Police later discovered that Sharma left the United States for India on the same day, according to the IANS.
An arrest warrant has now been issued against him, charging him with first- and second-degree murder.
Howard County Police are coordinating with federal agencies to trace and apprehend Sharma.
Given the serious nature of the crime, international cooperation is being pursued under US-India extradition treaties, though such proceedings often require months of court and diplomatic processes.
Victim’s professional background
According to her LinkedIn profile, Godishala was a highly qualified healthcare and data analytics professional. She held a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in India and a master’s degree in Health Information Technology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, the news agency reported.
Her expertise included healthcare data analytics, regulatory compliance, dashboard development, HIPAA standards, and tools such as SQL, Tableau, Power BI and Python.
She was dedicated to improving healthcare systems and patient outcomes through data-driven insights.
Legal context
Under US law, first-degree murder involves premeditated killing, while second-degree murder covers intentional killings without prior planning. Police investigations are ongoing to collect evidence and establish the circumstances of the killing, as per the IANS.
(with IANS inputs)
Indian woman found stabbed in US, ex-boyfriend fled to India: Officials
