Heartbroken family of woman, 24, found murdered in car boot reveal she ‘didn’t lead a happy life’ & demand ‘justice’
THE heartbroken family of woman found murdered in the boot of a car have revealed she “didn’t lead a happy life”.
Harshita Brella‘s father Satbir Brella demanded “justice” for his daughter from the family home in Delhi, India.
The 24-year-old’s sister Sonia Dabas described how Harshita was “very excited” to move to the UK in April following an arranged marriage with Pankaj Lamba.
An international manhunt is now underway for the husband of Harshita.
Northamptonshire Police named Mr Lamba as the prime suspect after her body was found inside the boot of a vehicle on Brisbane Road in Ilford, east London.
Her father told the BBC: “I want my son-in-law to be brought to justice and I want my daughter’s body brought home.”
Harshita’s mother Sudesh Kumari added: “I just want justice for my daughter.”
Ms Dabas said her sister “didn’t live a very happy life in London“.
She continued: “She struggled a lot because of her husband. She said he was hitting her and she escaped.
“She ran out on the streets, he chased after her and hit her there as well.”
Sonia’s husband Tarun Dabas wrote on X: “Our world has been turned upside down.
“Harshita Brella just 24 years old was found murdered in the boot of a car in East London. Her husband Pankaj Lamba is the main suspect.
“He has now fled the country and an international manhunt is underway.
“We’re calling on the UK and Indian governments to act swiftly to capture him. Harshita deserves justice. Her voice must be heard.
“Please help us seek #JusticeForHarshitaBrella. Please help to find the suspect.”
It comes after a neighbour revealed she heard two blistering rows, one involving a woman who “sounded scared”, in the days before her body was discovered.
Chief Inspector Paul Cash's statement in full
FIRSTLY, on behalf of Northamptonshire Police, I would like to express my deepest and heartfelt condolences to Harshita’s family and friends, and to everyone who knew and loved her.
Harshita was a young woman in her early 20s, with her whole life ahead of her and everything to live for.
It is absolutely tragic that her life has been cut short in this way.
A murder investigation was launched after the body of a woman, who we have now named as Harshita, was found in a car in east London.
This finding came about after we received a call on Wednesday, November 13, regarding concerns for Harshita’s welfare.
Officers were deployed to her home address in Skegness Walk, Corby.
After getting no answer, a missing person investigation was launched.
Fast-track enquiries were made which sadly led to the discovery of a woman’s body inside the boot of a vehicle in Brisbane Road in the Ilford area of London, in the early hours of Thursday, November 14.
A forensic postmortem examination, which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday, November 15, established that Harshita had been murdered.
Officers and detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit and Northamptonshire Police, working with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police, have been working around the clock to establish the circumstances behind Harshita’s death, including the exact location and timeframe in which it took place.
We have followed a number of lines of investigation and carried out numerous inquiries and we are now able to provide a further update.
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. We are releasing an image of Pankaj Lamba with this statement.
More than 60 detectives are working on the case and are continuing to follow numerous lines of inquiry, including house to house, property searches, CCTV and ANPR.
We are of course continuing to appeal for any information that will help us piece together exactly what happened as we work to get justice for Harshita.
I urge anyone listening to or reading this statement, that if you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us.
We would always rather receive well-meaning information that turns out to be nothing as opposed to not receiving it all.
While we are satisfied there is no wider risk to the public, we understand how shocking and distressing such an incident can be for the local community.
Our Neighbourhood officers will continue to provide additional patrols in Corby in the coming days for reassurance.
Anyone with any concerns is welcome to approach one of these officers who will be happy to help.
Anyone who has any information that could help detectives bring Harshita’s killer to justice, can contact the incident room by calling 101, quoting incident number Operation Westcott.
Alternatively information can be submitted via our online public portal at www.mipp.police.uk or by call Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555111.
Thank you for your support and assistance in helping us bring Harshita’s killer to justice, and we will provide further updates when we can.
Kelly Philp, Harshita’s neighbour in Corby, said she overheard an argument between a man and a woman on Wednesday.
“They were arguing in a different language so I couldn’t understand what was being said,” the 41-year-old told the Daily Mirror.
“But it sounded angry and there were raised voices and the woman sounded scared.
“I heard a commotion between a man and a woman and I heard banging around.
“I didn’t call police. I just thought it was a relationship argument.”
She described feeling “vulnerable” and “on edge” after learning about the fate of her neighbour.
“I feel so sad about the loss of the lass. I can’t get over it,” she said. “I can’t believe it.”
Ms Philip said she had also overheard two men arguing in a foreign language early on Saturday, shortly after she heard a back gate slam shut.
Chief Inspector Paul Cash told a press conference in Kettering: “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.”
Earlier a police spokesman confirmed Harshita had previously been the victim of domestic violence.
In early September she was made subject of a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) at Northampton Magistrates’ Court.
Northamptonshire Police have also made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of previous contact between the force and Harshita.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.