New Delhi:
On the morning of November 11, police in Ilford, east London, found a body in the boot of a silver Opel Corsa parked on Brisbane Road. The body belonged to 24-year-old Harshita Brella, an Indian woman who was born in Delhi and moved to the UK in April this year after marrying Pankaj Lamba in August last year. Days earlier she had disappeared from her home in Northamptonshire. Post-mortem examination of the body revealed that she had been strangled.
Police said Harshita was likely murdered by her husband, Pankaj, 23, who reportedly fled the country soon after committing the crime. Harshita’s body, hidden in the boot of the car, had been taken 90 miles south to Ilford before being abandoned.
“Our investigation leads us to believe that Harshita was murdered in Northamptonshire by her husband Pankaj Lamba earlier this month,” Northampton Police said.
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“We suspect that Lamba transported Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford (East London) by car. We believe he has now fled the country… More than sixty detectives are working on the case and continue to pursue numerous lines of inquiry, including house searches. door-to-door, house searches, camera surveillance and ANPR (automatic number plate recognition),” the statement added.
Harshita was last heard from on the evening of November 10, when she told her family that she was preparing dinner and awaiting her husband’s return. Concerns grew when her phone was left off for two days, prompting her family to contact Northamptonshire Police on November 13. Officers who visited her home on Skegness Walk found no trace of her, prompting an investigation.
The following day, in the early hours of November 14, her body was discovered in Ilford. By then, Pankaj had disappeared, evading authorities and sparking an international manhunt.
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The murder investigation revealed that Harshita had endured a history of domestic violence. In September, she was granted a domestic violence protection order against her husband after incidents of abuse. However, despite legal measures, the threat persisted.
Neighbors reported hearing arguments coming from the couple’s home in the days before her death. One particularly intense confrontation was recalled where one woman ‘sounded scared’.
Harshita’s family, based in Delhi, spoke about their fear in media interviews. Her father, Satbir Brella, described her as a simple, determined young woman with ambitions to become a teacher. After marrying Pankaj in an arranged match, she moved to Britain in April 2023. According to Harshita’s sister Sonia Dabas, she worked in a warehouse and Pankaj studied in London.
“I want my son-in-law brought to justice and I want my daughter’s body brought home,” said Satbir Brella, Harshita’s father, as quoted by the BBC.
“She was a part of me and I was a part of her. I now feel that I can’t do anything in life without her,” Sonia said, adding that Harshita had earlier fled her home after being attacked by Pankaj , but returned. hoping to save the marriage.
According to the family, Pankaj had complained that Harshita spoke to her mother too often or did not prepare meals on time. In August, Harshita called her father to say that she had run away due to Pankaj’s violent behavior.
CCTV footage released by police shows the silver Opel Corsa, which investigators say was used to transport Harshita’s body. However, Pankaj’s whereabouts remain unknown. Police have appealed to the public for any information regarding sightings of Pankaj or suspicious activity in Corby and Ilford around the time of the murder.