Arrest in Hyderabad Woman’s US Murder Is a ‘Beginning, Not the End’: Family

The parents of Nikitha Godishala, the 27-year-old Hyderabad woman found dead in the United States in January, have described the arrest of the accused as an “important breakthrough” while insisting that many questions remain unanswered.

Nikitha was discovered with stab wounds on January 3 in the apartment of her ex-boyfriend, Arjun Sharma, in Columbia. Sharma, 26, had filed a missing person report a day earlier, claiming he last saw her on December 31. He then flew to India hours after lodging the complaint.

This week, a team from Hyderabad police tracked Sharma to a flat in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and arrested him on August 24.

In a statement, Nikitha’s family said the arrest is “a beginning, not the end” and appealed to US authorities for greater transparency and cooperation. They recounted their long struggle for justice, saying they made nearly 200 calls and refused to give up even when hope faded. They thanked the Government of India, the National Human Rights Commission, and the police for their support.

“We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for what every parent deserves when their child is killed – the truth,” the family said.

The family also raised concerns about how they learned details of the case. They alleged that they were not officially informed that Nikitha’s body was found inside a suitcase, and that they came to know through media reports.

Additionally, the parents claimed that Sharma had borrowed money from Nikitha and some family members after losing his job in the US. They said financial disputes existed before her death and that Sharma had financial dealings with others in the US as well.

The family has urged investigators in both India and the US to examine financial transactions, communications, and activity involving Nikitha’s bank accounts and mobile phone before and after her death, and to establish their relevance based on evidence.