A 27-year-old Indian woman from Secunderabad, Telangana was found dead with stab wounds at her former boyfriend’s apartment in Maryland in the United States, days after concern over her whereabouts surfaced on social media and a missing person complaint was filed by the accused himself.
The victim, 27-year-old Nikitha Rao Godishala, was found at an apartment on the 10100 block of Twin Rivers Road in Maryland City on January 3. Her ex-boyfriend, 26-year-old Arjun Sharma, had filed a missing person report on January 2, telling police that he had last seen her on December 31 at the same apartment. Investigators later learned that Sharma had already left the United States and travelled to India.
The Howard County police stated that the concern over Godishala’s disappearance was first raised when her friends shared appeals on Facebook seeking help to locate her. One post urged people in and around Columbia, Maryland, to remain alert and assist in finding her.
Based on the missing person report, detectives executed a search warrant at Sharma’s apartment on January 3 and found Godishala’s body with stab wounds. Police believe she was killed shortly after 7 p.m. on December 31.
An arrest warrant has since been obtained against Sharma, charging him with first- and second-degree murder. Howard County police said they are working with US federal agencies to locate him. Interpol is expected to issue a red notice, which would alert law enforcement agencies across nearly 200 countries, including India.
