By Mike Hellgren
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HOWARD COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — An international manhunt is underway for a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and leaving her body inside his apartment in Columbia, Howard County, before fleeing to India, according to police.
Howard County police on Sunday issued an arrest warrant for 26-year-old Arjun Sharma on first and second-degree murder charges in the apparent stabbing death of 27-year-old Nikitha Godishala, of Ellicott City.
According to police, Sharma said Friday that he last saw Godishala on New Year’s Eve at his apartment in the 10100 block of Twin Rivers Road.
Later that day, police said they found out Sharma had left the country on a flight to India. A search warrant was then executed at his apartment, where officers said they found his ex-girlfriend’s body with stab wounds.
Detectives believe Sharma killed Godishala shortly after 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
Police and federal law enforcement are still working to find and arrest Sharma. A motive is not currently known and the investigation is ongoing.
Police said the suspect, Sharma, called 911 to report his ex-girlfriend missing on Friday. They then believe he headed to Dulles International Airport and boarded a plane bound for India.
Sharma will be charged with first- and second-degree murder.
“There was obviously some premeditation to be able to do this and then to flee the country, so that’s what we have right now as far as charges,” Howard County police spokesman Seth Hoffman told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren.
Hoffman said officers carried out a search warrant at the suspect’s apartment in the 10100 block of Twin Rivers Road.
The building is adjacent to the Mall in Columbia.
Inside the apartment, they found the body of Godishala, of Ellicott City, with multiple stab wounds and other trauma, Hoffman said.
He was unsure whether the police were able to recover the murder weapon.
Hoffman said there were no calls to service or other prior complaints at the apartment.
“We are unaware of any previous calls for service or incidents involving the two of them,” Hoffman said. “We do believe it wasn’t uncommon that they would still meet each other and have communication after their relationship ended, but we don’t have a motive right now as to why he would kill her.”
Godishala’s friends grew increasingly concerned when they stopped hearing from her on New Year’s Eve. Some took to social media to ask if anyone knew her whereabouts. Police said she stopped contacting loved ones shortly after 7 p.m. on December 31.
“Her friends have already filed a police report, but we need more eyes on the ground. If you live in or around the Columbia area, please keep a lookout. If you have any information, no matter how small,” one post read.
“We received information from friends and family that really raised some red flags. It really propelled the investigation towards the instance of foul play being involved,” Hoffman said.
Godishala appeared to have posted in August in a Facebook group looking for someone to take over her room in the apartment and described her ex as “respectful” and clean.
Neighbors are stunned, including Daniel Wheeler Jr., who told WJZ Investigates he saw police cars outside the building.
“I feel deeply sorry for the family,” Wheeler said. “Guilty doesn’t rest oftentimes, and whatever he’s going through he will ultimately have to face.”
Murders in area surrounding the Mall in Columbia are rare.
“The biggest thing you’ll see over here is people fighting over parking spots. I like it like that myself,” Wheeler said. “It’s a very close-knit community. People are very friendly.
Wheeler said he hopes the neighborhood can recover.
“I hope us as a community we can come together and keep looking out for each other and show some love toward the beginning of this new year,” he told Hellgren.
Howard County Police said they are working with federal and international authorities to capture Sharma.
“The U.S. Attorney’s office works with Interpol, which is an international organization, and they will eventually issue what is known as a ‘red notice’—basically an international arrest warrant,” Hoffman said. “From there, that goes out to all the countries that work with Interpol, which is close to 200 countries including India, so that will give Indian authorities information. They will begin to track him and hopefully arrest him. From there, it could take quite a bit of time to process and hopefully get him extradited.”
India’s embassy posted about the case on X, formerly Twitter.
“The Embassy is in contact with the family of Ms. Nikitha Godishala and is extending all possible consular assistance,” officials wrote. “The Embassy is also following up the matter with the local authorities.”
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