In a complaint submitted to the Indian Embassy in the United States, Saraswati, the sister of Telugu woman Nikitha Godishala, provided details of the financial dealings between Nikitha and her former boyfriend, Arjun Sharma, in the days leading up to Nikitha’s alleged murder. She stated that Arjun had taken significant sums of money from Nikitha and her family and had not repaid the full amount. According to the complaint, the total money Arjun owed to Nikitha’s family stood at USD 4,500, which is approximately ₹4.7 lakh.
Saraswati alleged that Arjun carried out unauthorised financial transactions amounting to nearly USD 3,500, or about ₹3.16 lakh, from Nikitha’s bank account before fleeing the United States. These transactions reportedly took place shortly before Nikitha was killed. The family has raised serious concerns about these withdrawals, alleging that Arjun misused Nikitha’s finances during a critical period.
After returning to India, Arjun Sharma was arrested by Interpol in Tamil Nadu on Monday. His arrest followed close coordination between US federal agencies and Indian authorities, who tracked his movements after he left the United States. Investigators became suspicious after learning that Arjun had travelled to India immediately after reporting Nikitha missing, prompting an international effort to locate and detain him.
In her detailed complaint, Saraswati explained that on December 27, Arjun had approached both her and Nikitha asking for money. She said that Nikitha, acting on Arjun’s request, contacted her for financial help and mentioned an amount of around USD 5,000. Saraswati stated that she eventually sent him USD 4,500, though the circumstances under which the money was requested raised concerns.
She further stated that Arjun later returned USD 3,500 out of the total amount she had transferred to him. However, he still owed USD 1,000 from that transaction. Despite this, Saraswati alleged that Arjun contacted her again on January 2 and asked for an additional USD 1,000. She said she refused this request, pointing out that he had not fully repaid the money he already owed.
In her written statement, Saraswati said, “I sent him USD 4,500, out of which he returned USD 3,500. I was contacted by Arjun on January 2 and requested for an additional USD 1,000, which I denied.” She maintained that these financial demands were made in the immediate period before Nikitha went missing.
Nikitha Godishala, a 27-year-old Indian-American data analyst based in Maryland, was reported missing on January 2. According to police, Arjun Sharma approached the Howard County Police that day and claimed he had last seen Nikitha on New Year’s Eve. However, authorities later discovered that Arjun had left the United States for India on the very same day he filed the missing person report.
This sequence of events raised red flags for investigators, who alerted multiple agencies and began tracking his movements. The suspicion surrounding his sudden departure ultimately led to his arrest in Tamil Nadu, as the investigation into Nikitha’s death and the alleged financial exploitation continues.
