Indian-Origin Woman Found Dead In UK Car; Global Manhunt For Husband

An Indian-origin woman identified as Harshita Brella, 24, was found dead inside the trunk of a car in East London on November 14. A post-mortem report at Leicester Royal Infirmary confirmed that she had been murdered. On November 17, police named her husband Pankaj Lamba as the prime suspect. Chief Inspector Paul Cash of the Nottinghamshire Police said that an international manhunt has been launched to look for Lamba, who has fled the country.

Notably, on November 13, police received a call from someone raising concerns for Brella's welfare. Officers called round at her home in Corby but reportedly received no answer at the door. A missing persons investigation was opened before her body was found about 96 miles away on Brisbane Road in Ilford.

Neighbours Say They Heard Commotion Days Before She Was Found Dead

More than 60 detectives are said to be working on the case and are following up on numerous lines of inquiry, including property searches. According to police, they have had previous contact with Brella and made a mandatory self-referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Police reportedly revealed that Brella was a survivor of domestic violence and was made the subject of a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) at Northampton Magistrates Court two months before her death. The order, which lasted only 28 days banned the perpetrator (unnamed) from visiting her workplace.

A neighbour, Kelly Philp, 41, also told The Mirror that they heard a commotion from Brella's house a day before she was found dead. "They were arguing in a different language so I couldn’t understand what was being said. But it sounded angry and there were raised voices and the woman sounded scared."

Philp said that Harshita had been living in an HMO (house of multiple occupations) which had 12 people living in it at one point last year. She added people "come and go" from the property. "Someone took off quickly. I had heard banging coming from the house and then they obviously just legged it," Philp added.

Police Statement

Chief Inspector Paul Cash said in a statement, "Our inquiries lead us to suspect that Harshita was murdered in Northamptonshire earlier this month by her husband Pankaj Lamba. We suspect Lamba transported Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford by car. We believe he has now fled the country."

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell from the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit, said, "...Detectives are working around the clock to establish the circumstances behind her death, including the exact location and timeframe in which it took place."