Investigators say the suspect reported her missing, then left for India on the same day.
COLUMBIA, MD — Howard County police have obtained an arrest warrant for Arjun Sharma, 26, after officers found his former girlfriend, 27-year-old Nikitha Godishala of Ellicott City, stabbed to death inside his Columbia apartment on Jan. 3. Detectives say Sharma reported Godishala missing on Jan. 2 and then boarded a flight to India later that day.
Police say the killing likely happened on Dec. 31, shortly after 7 p.m., at an apartment in the 10100 block of Twin Rivers Road. The case has moved quickly from a missing person report to a homicide investigation with international implications, as local detectives coordinate with federal partners to locate Sharma abroad. A murder warrant filed Sunday charges him with first- and second-degree murder. Authorities have not identified a motive and say the investigation remains active while they pursue leads in Maryland and overseas.
According to police, Sharma called to report Godishala missing on Jan. 2 and told officers he last saw her on New Year’s Eve at his apartment. Later on Jan. 2, investigators learned Sharma had left the United States on a flight bound for India. Detectives executed a search warrant at his Twin Rivers Road residence on Jan. 3 and found Godishala deceased with stab wounds. “There was obviously some premeditation to be able to do this and then to flee the country,” Howard County police spokesman Seth Hoffman said. Officers believe she stopped communicating with friends and family shortly after 7 p.m. on Dec. 31, aligning with their estimate of when the attack occurred.
As of Monday, police said they are working with federal and international authorities to locate and arrest Sharma. Investigators have not publicly identified a weapon and have not released information on prior calls for service involving the pair. Hoffman said there were no known previous incidents documented at the apartment. He added that U.S. authorities can seek international assistance to detain a suspect abroad. The building where Godishala was found sits near the Mall in Columbia, an area where neighbors described violent crime as unusual. Detectives continue to review records, canvass the complex, and collect surveillance video to fill gaps in the timeline between Dec. 31 and the discovery of the body on Jan. 3.
Police documents say Godishala, a data and strategy analyst who lived in Ellicott City, was last with Sharma at his apartment on New Year’s Eve. After she was reported missing, friends posted urgent messages on social media asking for information. Some told investigators they grew worried when messages and calls went unanswered that night. The Indian Embassy in Washington said it has contacted Godishala’s family and is coordinating with local authorities. Howard County police described Sharma as a Columbia resident who made the Jan. 2 report and then departed the country the same day, narrowing the window for investigators to search the unit and secure physical evidence.
The case has drawn attention across Maryland at the start of the new year and comes as law enforcement agencies track early homicide trends regionally. In this investigation, authorities have named a suspect and obtained a murder warrant within days of the initial missing person report. Detectives say the motive is unknown, and they have not disclosed whether they recovered a knife or other weapon. They have not released details about travel companions, ticket purchases, or any stops on Sharma’s route to India. Police emphasized that the timeline now on record—report on Jan. 2, international flight the same day, search of the apartment on Jan. 3—will guide their requests for additional records, including airport, rideshare, and phone data.
Officials said federal partners can request a notice to foreign police services to locate and provisionally detain a wanted person abroad while extradition is pursued. Hoffman said the U.S. Attorney’s Office works with international agencies to circulate an alert comparable to an international arrest request. If Sharma is detained in India, the case would shift into a legal process handled by the U.S. Department of Justice and Indian authorities, with court hearings in India to determine extradition. The murder charges filed in Howard County would await his return to Maryland. Police said they will release updates when significant steps occur in the international search.
Outside the Twin Rivers Road building Sunday night, police tape had been removed but hallway lights still reflected off the doorframes where detectives worked hours earlier. “I feel deeply sorry for the family,” said neighbor Daniel Wheeler Jr., who saw cruisers line the complex. “It’s a close-knit area, and we don’t see things like this.” Hoffman said investigators are still conducting interviews with neighbors and acquaintances of both Sharma and Godishala to learn more about their contact after the relationship ended. Friends described Godishala as reliable and attentive to messages, which they said made her silence on New Year’s Eve stand out.
As of Monday afternoon, Howard County police said Sharma remains wanted on first- and second-degree murder charges and is believed to be outside the United States. Detectives plan additional briefings as coordination with federal partners advances this week. Authorities said the next milestone will be confirmation of an international detention request and any developments from counterparts overseas.
Author note: Last updated January 5, 2026.