Arjun Sharma, the 26-year-old Indian man who fled home after murdering his former girlfriend, Nikitha Godishala, has been arrested in Tamil Nadu after an international manhunt.
According to media reports, Interpol arrested the accused in Tamil Nadu after sustained surveillance and information sharing between various agencies.
Nikitha Godishala, a resident of Ellicott City, was reported missing on January 2. She was later found with stab wounds in the apartment of her ex-boyfriend in Columbia, Maryland.
Sharma is believed to have killed Godishala shortly after 7 pm on December 31. Later, Sharma made the missing person report to the police and said he last saw Godishala on December 31 in his apartment in the Maryland city.
Police obtained a warrant for Sharma's arrest on first and second-degree murder charges and launched a manhunt. Sharma had left the country on a flight to India the same day after marking the missing person report.
Investigations revealed that Sharma continued to be in touch with Godishala even after their break-up. The circumstances of the murder, according to Howard County police spokesperson Seth Hoffman, suggested that it was a premeditated crime.
The motive of the crime is yet to be known.
The Indian Embassy in Washington DC said in a post on X that it is in contact with Godishala's family and is extending all possible consular assistance. The Embassy is also following up on the matter with the local authorities, it said.
