Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 28: An Indian man wanted in connection with the murder of his former roommate in the United States has been arrested in Agra, police officials said.

Arjun Sharma (26), accused in the killing of 27-year-old Nikitha Godishala in Maryland, was traced to a flat in Agra by a Hyderabad Police team investigating a separate cheating case filed against him.

Godishala, a resident of Ellicott City, Maryland, was reported missing on January 2. According to the Howard County Police Department, she was later found dead with multiple stab wounds in the Columbia apartment where Sharma had been staying.

US authorities had obtained an arrest warrant against Sharma on charges of first- and second-degree murder, alleging that he killed Godishala before fleeing to India.

The Howard County Police Department has confirmed that Sharma is currently in Indian custody and is expected to be extradited to the US, although no timeline has been announced.

A cheating case was registered against Sharma in Telangana in April following a complaint by Godishala's father, Anand Godishala, who alleged that Sharma had taken money from his daughter and failed to return it.

During the investigation, Hyderabad Police reportedly received clues about Sharma's whereabouts and sent a team to Agra. He was subsequently traced to a flat and detained.

"During the investigation, after getting certain clues, a police team was sent to Agra, which caught the accused in a flat," a Hyderabad Police official told.

The official said central authorities were informed after it was found that a non-bailable warrant was pending against Sharma in the US murder case.

Sharma was subsequently produced before the Patiala House Court in New Delhi and was remanded on August 25 in connection with the murder case.

Godishala's family was informed by Indian authorities on January 4 that she had suffered multiple stab wounds and that her death was believed to have occurred on December 31, 2025.

Godishala had been living in the US for around four years and worked as a data and strategy analyst. Her parents, who reside in Hyderabad, have welcomed Sharma's arrest as a significant breakthrough in the case.

According to the family, Sharma lost his job around August-September 2025 and subsequently borrowed money from Nikitha and her family. They alleged that financial disputes over money owed to Nikitha existed before her death.

US police have described Sharma as Godishala's former boyfriend, while her father has said the two were roommates and suspected that financial issues may have been behind the killing.

Further proceedings regarding Sharma's extradition to the United States are awaited.