Lalaguda Police Arrest Arjun Sharma in Agra Over Cheating, US Murder Probe

The Lalaguda police in Hyderabad have arrested 27-year-old Arjun Sharma from Agra in connection with a financial cheating case and executed an extradition-related non-bailable warrant against him for an alleged murder probe in Maryland, United States.

Sharma, a native of Chennai who had been staying in Agra, was apprehended by a special team from the Lalaguda police station following technical analysis and intelligence gathering. The arrest was carried out with the assistance of personnel from the Ekta Police Station in Agra.

According to the police, the case is connected to the alleged murder of 27-year-old Nikitha Godishala, who had moved to the United States in 2022 to pursue higher studies. Nikitha and Sharma were colleagues and lived together in Halethorpe, Maryland, until 2024.

Investigators stated that Sharma and his mother, Rachana Sharma, had borrowed substantial sums of money from Nikitha and her family under the pretext of financial difficulties, allegedly without any intention of repaying the amounts.

Sharma later called Nikitha to his apartment in Columbia, Maryland, claiming he intended to resolve the financial dispute. He allegedly attacked her with a knife and locked her inside the apartment.

On January 1, 2026, Sharma allegedly filed a false missing person report with the Maryland Police before fleeing the United States for India. After reaching India, he allegedly used Nikitha’s phone number and debit card to carry out unauthorised transfers from her bank account.

Nikitha's father, Anand Godishala, subsequently lodged a complaint in Hyderabad, prompting the Lalaguda police to register a case and launch an investigation.

Upon locating Sharma in Agra, the police initially served him a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). During coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and CBI/Interpol in Delhi, officials confirmed that an extradition-related non-bailable warrant was pending against him in connection with the US murder case.

Following the execution of the warrant issued by a court in New Delhi, Sharma was remanded to judicial custody in Tihar Jail.