Nikitha Rao Godishala, a 27-year-old Indian woman, was found dead with stab wounds inside her ex-boyfriend’s home in Maryland, United States. Police believe she was killed shortly after 7 pm on December 31. Her former partner, Arjun Sharma, 26, has been charged with first- and second-degree murder and is believed to have fled to India.
According to investigators, Sharma filed a missing person’s complaint on January 2, claiming he last saw Nikitha on New Year’s Eve at his apartment in Maryland City. A day later, on January 3, detectives searched the same apartment and discovered Nikitha’s body. Police said Sharma left the country soon after registering the complaint, and a manhunt is currently underway to arrest him.
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Who was Nikitha Godishala?
As per her public information available on social media, Nikitha Godishala was a data and strategy analyst at Vheda Health in Columbia, Maryland. She joined the company in February 2025 and, within a year, received the firm’s “All-In Award” for her performance. Sharing the moment on LinkedIn, she described the recognition as a reminder of her purpose and responsibility, and spoke about stepping into 2026 with momentum.
Before this, Nikitha worked at Management Sciences for Health as a data analysis and visualisation specialist. She was also associated with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, between June 2022 and May 2023.
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In India, Nikitha gained experience at KIMS Hospitals, where she worked as a clinical pharmacist intern and later as a clinical data specialist. She studied pharmacy at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and later moved to the US to pursue a master’s degree in health information technology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Nikitha spoke English, Hindi and Telugu, and was deeply passionate about using data to improve healthcare systems and patient outcomes.
