India, Jan. 5 -- The murder of Nikitha Godishala, a 27-year-old Indian professional residing in the state of Maryland, has left the Indian expatriate community in the US, as well as onlookers in India stunned. Began as a missing persons report on New Year's Day has escalated into an international murder investigation, pitting an ex-lover who left the country mere hours after notifying authorities of the missing woman.

Nikitha Godishala was an Indian national living in Ellicott City, Maryland. Friends and colleagues describe her as driven, soft spoken and deeply committed to her career in healthcare analytics. She had built a life in the US through years of education and professional work and becoming part of a growing community of young ...