Nikitha Godishala’s family seeks restraint amid probe into her killing in Maryland

Days after 27-year-old Indian woman from Secunderabad, Nikitha Godishala, was found dead with stab wounds at her friend’s apartment in Maryland in the United States, the victim’s family issued a statement seeking “to place verified facts on record and dispel misinformation” surrounding her death.

In a video shared from a newly-created Instagram account titled ‘Justice for Nikitha Godishala’, the victim’s father, Anand Godishala, recounted the sequence of events leading up to the incident and sought support from the authorities for repatriation and investigation into the case.

Ms. Godishala was found dead in Maryland on December 31, 2025. According to the family, U.S. authorities have informed them that Mr. Arjun Sharma, identified as the prime suspect in the case, filed a missing person report on January 1, 2026, and left the United States for India the following day. Ms. Godishala’s body was later discovered at 10100 Twin Rivers Road in Columbia, Maryland, which is Mr. Sharma’s residence, and her vehicle was also recovered from the same location.

The family said that during the period Ms. Godishala was reported missing, unauthorised transactions were detected in her bank account. They also stated that Mr. Sharma had contacted her friends and family members multiple times during this period, seeking financial assistance while citing urgent personal and financial difficulties.

The family has appealed for privacy and restraint from both the media and the public. “As the family mourns an irreparable loss, they respectfully request privacy and restraint from the media and the public. The last rites will be conducted privately, with police protection sought to ensure dignity and order,” the statement read.

In their statement, the family said they are working closely with the Indian Embassy in the United States, the Ministry of External Affairs, and senior government authorities in India, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, and the Chief Minister’s Office in Hyderabad.