 "Strangled, body stuffed in car boot: How horrific murder of Indian woman by husband unfolded in UK")
On the morning of November 11, a body was discovered in the boot of a silver Vauxhall Corsa parked on Brisbane Road in Ilford, East London.
The victim was later identified as 24-year-old Harshita Brella, an Indian woman from Delhi. She had moved to the UK in April following her marriage to Pankaj Lamba in August last year.
Notably, a missing person inquiry had been initiated in the East Midlands area of England. The police have since launched a manhunt for her husband, who they believe fled the country after allegedly killing his wife.
According to a post-mortem examination of her body, she had been strangled before she was put into the car boot, BBC reported.
Detectives investigating the murder of Harshita Brella, from Corby, are renewing their appeal for information and releasing new CCTV images of the suspect, as they continue their inquiries into the circumstances that led to her death. Read more here: https://t.co/bMFAY8nKo8 pic.twitter.com/ThkQCu1EtE
— Northants Police (@NorthantsPolice) November 19, 2024
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What happened?
Brella was last heard from on the evening of November 10, when she told her family she was preparing dinner and waiting for her husband, Lamba, to return home.
When her phone remained switched off for two days, her concerned family contacted the Northamptonshire Police on November 13. Officers visited her home on Skegness Walk but found no sign of her, leading to the launch of an investigation.
The next day, November 14, her body was discovered in the boot of a car in Ilford, East London. By then, Lamba had gone missing, which led to an international manhunt.
At a press briefing, Northamptonshire Police Chief Inspector Paul Cash stated, “We suspect Lamba transported Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford by car. We believe he has now fled the country.”
Northamptonshire Police has since released CCTV images linked to their probe, including photos of a silver Vauxhall Corsa believed to have been used to transport Harshita’s body to Ilford on November 11.
Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell of the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit said, “We suspect Harshita’s body had been placed in the boot of the vehicle by Lamba before leaving Corby.
“Lamba then abandoned the vehicle in Brisbane Road, Ilford, and made his getaway.”
Notably, a police spokesperson told the BBC that Brella had previously experienced domestic violence and was issued a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) by Northampton Magistrates’ Court in September.
A neighbour also reported hearing two intense arguments in the days before Harshita’s body was found, one of which left the woman sounding “scared.”
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Who was Harshita Brella? What has the investigation uncovered until now?
Harshita Brella was an Indian woman who lived in Delhi and moved to the UK in April after her marriage to Pankaj Lamba.
Her sister, Sonia Dabas, told the BBC that the family “thought something was wrong” by November 13 when her phone had been off for two days. Brella worked in a warehouse, while Lamba was studying in London, according to Dabas.
Satbir Brella, Harshita’s father, described her as a simple and serious young woman with aspirations of becoming a teacher.
Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell said, “She was a young woman in her early 20s with her whole life ahead of her, and it is absolutely tragic that her life has been cut short in this way. Detectives from EMSOU and Northamptonshire Police are working around the clock to establish the circumstances behind her death, including the exact location and timeframe in which it took place.”
In a statement on Sunday, Northamptonshire Police Chief Inspector Paul Cash revealed that over 60 detectives were actively investigating the case. The police also released an image of Pankaj Lamba, appealing for public assistance in finding him.
Investigators believe Brella’s killing was a “targeted incident” and requested anyone with information to come forward. While police stated there is no wider risk to the public, extra patrols are being deployed in Corby to reassure the community.
The Northamptonshire Police has referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), as required, due to prior contact between the victim and the police.
Officers are now working to verify the events leading to Brella’s disappearance from her Corby home, approximately 145 kilometres north of London, and the discovery of her body in the boot of a car in East London.
‘She struggled a lot because…’
Now, the family of Brella has made a heartfelt appeal, calling for justice and renewing their appeal for information
Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, her mother Sudesh Kumari, father Satbir Brella, and sister Sonia Dabas expressed their grief and demanded answers.
Satbir Brella said, “I want my son-in-law to be brought to justice and I want my daughter’s body brought home.”
Sonia Dabas said, “She struggled a lot because of her husband,” adding that she had suggested Brella to “quit and come to India.”
She added, “She was a part of me and I was a part of her. I now feel like I can’t do anything in life without her.”
According to the family, Brella’s husband had criticised her for not preparing food on time and for speaking too frequently with her mother. In August, Brella had called her father in India, saying she had run away because of her husband’s violent behaviour.
Police have confirmed that Harshita had been under the protection of a domestic abuse order, which restricted her husband from threatening or approaching her.
Her father told the BBC that the family hopes to bring her body back to India. “Her soul can get peace, and then maybe we will too,” he said.
With inputs from agencies
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