Nikitha Rao Godishala, the 27-year-old Indian woman, who was found dead inside a residence in Maryland, was a highly qualified health-tech professional with a promising career in the United States. US authorities have charged her former boyfriend, Arjun Sharma (26), with murder and launched an international manhunt after he allegedly fled to India.
Apart from the tragic curcumstances surrounding her death, Nikitha had a reputation in her professional circles as a motivated and thoughtful personality with both clinical skills and competencies in the filed of data and strategy.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she held a Master’s degree in Health Information Technology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Previously, she completed a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, where she had been trained in medical as well as clinical assistance.
Nikitha started working at Vheda Health, a company that focuses on providing healthcare strategies and services, located in Columbia, Maryland, as a Data and Strategy Analyst in February of 2025. Within months, her work earned her the company’s “All-In Award,” a recognition she described as a defining moment in her professional journey. In a post shared just weeks before her death, Nikitha indicated that her work environment involves thinking outside of the box, learning, and thriving in a setting of trust, mentorship, and collaboration.
Her contribution did not go unnoticed by the management of the company. Shameet Luhar, CEO, Board Member and Co-Founder of Vheda Health, publicly praised her work, writing, “Nikitha, we are proud of your contributions to Vheda and humbled you have chosen us as your home. When the team is ‘All-In’, our members and industry all move forward, together.”
Before joining Vheda Health, Nikitha worked across healthcare data and clinical roles, including positions at Management Sciences for Health, the University of Maryland Baltimore as a graduate administrative assistant, KIMS Hospitals as a clinical data specialist, and as a clinical pharmacist intern in India. Her career reflected a steady shift from hands-on clinical work to health data analysis and strategy.
According to investigators, Sharma reported Nikitha missing on January 2, claiming he last saw her on New Year’s Eve at his Maryland City apartment. Police say he left the US shortly after filing the report. On January 3, the body of Nikitha was found inside the same residence by detectives. The presumed time of murder is just after 7 pm on December 31.
While the investigation is still underway across countries, friends and colleagues are cherishing memories of Nikitha Rao Godishala not only for her death but for her accomplishments and contribution that she has been able to make in such a short period of her life.
