Maryland, Jan. 6 -- The father of a 27-year-old Indian-origin woman who was stabbed to death in Howard County, Maryland, has demanded strict punishment for the accused as conflicting reports emerged over the suspect's arrest in India.

Nikitha Godishala, living in Ellicott City, was found dead with multiple stab wounds and other trauma to her body on January 2, days after she was allegedly killed on New Year's Eve.

Howard County has identified Arjun Sharma (26), Nikitha's former roommate, as the prime suspect. US authorities allege that Sharma stabbed her inside an apartment near the Mall in Columbia on December 31, later filed a missing report of her on January 2, and fled the United States the same day via Dulles International Airport in...