Agra/Hyderabad: A fugitive software engineer, Arjun Sharma, wanted by US authorities for allegedly murdering his former girlfriend, Nikitha Godishala, in Maryland over a monetary dispute, was nabbed from Agra, where he was hiding in an apartment. He was produced before the court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate, Animesh Bhaskar Mani Tripathi, at Patiala House in Delhi on Thursday.Sharma allegedly killed Nikitha on Dec 31, 2025, at his apartment in Maryland and later fled to India to evade arrest and prosecution in the US.The Delhi court ordered that 27-year-old Sharma, a native of Chennai, be taken into custody, noting that the charges against him meet the criteria for extradition under the India-US Extradition Treaty. Proceedings on the US extradition request and the supporting evidence are underway.Sharma was nabbed from Agra on Aug 24 by a Telangana police team. He was hiding at Shankar Green Residential Society in the Ekta police station area. The Telangana police action followed an Interpol Red Corner Notice and an extradition request from US authorities.“We were trying to track him down after the victim’s family registered a cheating case in April 2026. We traced his whereabouts to Agra on Aug 25, served him a notice in the cheating case and alerted CBI in view of the extradition request from the US in the alleged murder case,” said Rakshita Krishna Murthy, DCP, Secunderabad.According to an FIR registered at Lalaguda police station in Secunderabad on a complaint by Nikitha’s father, Anand Godishala, Sharma allegedly stabbed the 27-year-old victim to death. The case against Sharma and his mother has been registered under BNS sections for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and destruction of evidence.The police complaint said Nikitha and Sharma met while pursuing master’s degrees in the US and lived with friends in Maryland between 2022 and 2024. After completing their studies, Nikitha and Sharma started working in Maryland. Sharma lost his job around Aug–Sept 2025, and he and his mother allegedly borrowed money from Nikitha and her family.On Dec 31, Sharma allegedly persuaded Nikitha to visit his apartment on the pretext of repaying USD 4,000. He then allegedly killed her, filed a misleading missing-person report with US police on Jan 1, and siphoned USD 4,000 to USD 5,000 from her credit card before fleeing to India on Jan 2. US police discovered Nikitha’s body in his apartment on Jan 3.Following the US investigation, American authorities charged Sharma with murder and assault, leading to the issuance of an Interpol Red Corner Notice against him.“Arjun’s extradition proceedings in the court are being handled by the CBI. We have asked the accused to respond to the allegations in our notice,” DCP Rakshita Murthy added.Agra city DCP Sayed Ali Abbas told TOI that his team extended necessary support to the Telangana team in arresting Sharma. “Local cops from Ekta police station, led by SHO Saurabh Singh, aided in the effort,” he added.
