The family of Telugu woman Nikitha Godishala, who was allegedly murdered in the United States, has claimed that she was killed over a money dispute and not due to a romantic relationship, as earlier reported in some sections of the media.
Nikitha Godishala (27) was found stabbed to death in Howard County, Columbia, Maryland, on New Year’s Eve. US police believe that the accused, Arjun Sharma, stabbed her, reported her as missing, and later fled to India.
Speaking to the media in Hyderabad, Nikitha’s father, Anand Godishala, said the accused was not his daughter’s ex-boyfriend but her former roommate.
He said Nikitha had been living in Columbia for the past four years and was working there as a data analyst.
“My daughter went to the US four years ago. He was only her roommate earlier, along with two others. It is wrong to say he was her ex-boyfriend,” Anand said, as quoted by PTI.
According to him, the murder was driven by a financial dispute. He said that four people lived together in the apartment and that the accused had borrowed large sums of money from Nikitha.
“When my daughter asked him to return the money before he left for India, he killed her and escaped,” Anand alleged.
He urged both the state and central governments to help bring his daughter’s body back to India at the earliest and demanded strict punishment for the accused.
Anand also said that Nikitha had learnt that Sharma had taken loans from several people and was planning to leave for India. However, he said he was not personally aware if Nikitha had discussed the financial dispute with her friends.
Nikitha last spoke to her father on the night of December 31, when she called to wish him on New Year’s Eve.
Nikitha’s cousin, Saraswati Godishala, has reportedly filed a complaint with the Indian Embassy in the US, detailing the money borrowed by the accused in the days leading up to the murder.
Media reports claim that Sharma had borrowed USD 4,500 (around Rs 4.07 lakh) from Nikitha. He allegedly returned USD 3,500 but later asked for another USD 1,000, which she refused to give.
Nikitha was reported missing on January 2. Howard County police later said she was found dead with stab wounds inside the Columbia apartment linked to Sharma.
US authorities have obtained an arrest warrant against him on first- and second-degree murder charges, stating that the killing was premeditated.
While some media reports claimed that Sharma was arrested in Tamil Nadu, sources later clarified that the person detained only resembled the suspect and was released after verification.
The accused remains at large, and US authorities are seeking his extradition to face trial.