The father of Hyderabad-born Nikitha Godishala, who was found dead in the United States earlier this month, has clarified that the main accused in the case was not her former boyfriend, as initially reported, but her ex-roommate. He has demanded stringent punishment for those responsible for his daughter’s death and appealed to both the central and Telangana governments to expedite the process of bringing her body back to India.
Speaking in an interview to Aaj Tak, Anand Godishala said his daughter was living in an apartment in the US with three other roommates. He alleged that the accused, Arjun Sharma, had been taking large sums of money from Nikitha over a period of time. According to him, this financial dispute ultimately led to the crime.
“Four people, including my daughter, were staying together in the apartment. Her ex-roommate used to take a lot of money from her,” Anand said. He added that when Nikitha asked Arjun to return the money before he flew back to India, he allegedly killed her and then fled the country. Anand urged the authorities to ensure that his daughter’s body is brought back at the earliest so the family can perform her last rites.
He reiterated that Arjun Sharma was never Nikitha’s boyfriend. “He is only a former roommate, not her ex-boyfriend. He was the one who filed the missing complaint with the US police and then escaped to India. He should be arrested and punished severely,” Anand said, expressing anguish over the circumstances of his daughter’s death.
Anand also recalled his last conversation with Nikitha, saying she had spoken to him on the night of December 31 to wish him a Happy New Year. “That was the last time I spoke to her,” he said, visibly emotional.
Nikitha was reported missing on January 2 after Arjun Sharma approached the Howard County Police in the US, claiming he had last seen her on New Year’s Eve. Her body was later discovered at Arjun’s apartment, raising serious suspicions about his role in the incident.
US authorities have since obtained an arrest warrant against Sharma on charges of first- and second-degree murder, alleging that he killed Nikitha and fled to India. He was later arrested in Tamil Nadu after the police tracked his movements.
Nikitha, who was 27 years old, had been living in the United States for the past four years. According to her father, she last visited India three years ago. She was working as a Data and Strategy Analyst at Vheda Health in Maryland after completing her master’s degree in the US and had recently received a Best Employee award at her workplace.
The family came to know about Nikitha’s death through her cousin, who also resides in the US. Adding to the allegations, Nikitha’s sister Saraswati said that Arjun Sharma had made unauthorised financial transactions worth about USD 3,500 (approximately Rs 3.16 lakh) from Nikitha’s bank account before fleeing the country.
