Indian-origin Maryland woman was killed by ex-roommate over money: Family
What's the story
The father of 27-year-old Nikitha Godishala, who was murdered in Howard County on New Year's Eve, has spoken out about his daughter's death. Anand Godishala spoke to reporters from Hyderabad on Monday, demanding "tough punishment" for the accused. The suspect is Arjun Sharma (26), identified as Nikitha's former roommate, though some reports refer to him as her ex-boyfriend. He allegedly stabbed her inside an apartment near the Mall in Columbia on December 31 and reported her missing two days later.
Alleged motive
Father alleges financial motive behind daughter's murder
Anand alleged that Arjun killed his daughter over a financial dispute. He also insisted that Arjun is Nikitha's former roommate and not former boyfriend. "He was her ex-roommate. It is not right that he was her ex-boyfriend," Anand said. "Four people used to stay in an apartment. Her ex-roommate used to take a lot of money from my daughter," he said. "When she asked him to return the money before he flew to India, he killed her and ran away."
Extradition challenges
Accused made unauthorized financial transactionsÂ
The sister of Nikitha also alleged that the accused made unauthorized financial transactions worth about $3,500 from Nikitha's bank account before fleeing. She stated that on December 27, Arjun asked for money from both Nikitha and herself. Nikitha later approached her on Arjun's behalf, requesting roughly USD 5,000. "I sent him $4,500, out of which he returned 43,500. I was contacted by Arjun on Jan 2nd and requested me for additional $1,000 to which I denied," she said.
Legal proceedings
Conflicting reports on accused's arrestÂ
Multiple media outlets in India earlier reported that Arjun is now in custody in Tamil Nadu. However, Howard County police told WJZ Investigates that they were unable to confirm an arrest in the case, and the international manhunt continues with Interpol's assistance. According to NDTV sources, the man arrested was not Arjun but someone who looked like him. He was eventually released.