London, United Kingdom

The harrowing case of Harshita Brella, the 24-year-old Indian-origin woman found murdered in the boot of a car in London, has taken a grim turn. A post-mortem of her dead body has confirmed that she was killed by strangulation.

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Police suspect that the young woman from Corby, Northamptonshire was killed by her husband, Pankaj Lamba, 23. They believe he fled the country after abandoning her body in a car boot in Ilford, east London.  

Case timeline  

Authorities believe Brella was murdered on the evening of Nov 10. Days later, concerned family members reported her missing.

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On Nov 13, officers conducted a welfare check at her home on Skegness Walk, Corby but were unable to find her. A missing person investigation was launched, which led to her body being discovered in the boot of a silver Vauxhall Corsa parked on Brisbane Road, Ilford. CCTV footage reportedly shows Lamba driving the car from Corby to Ilford early on 11 November before abandoning it.  

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Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell of the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit stated, "We suspect Harshita's body had been placed in the boot of the vehicle by Lamba before leaving Corby.

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"Lamba then abandoned the vehicle in Brisbane Road, Ilford, and made his getaway."

Domestic violence

This tragedy unfolded against a backdrop of domestic violence. A police spokesperson as per BBC has confirmed that Brella had been the subject of a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO), issued in September by Northampton Magistrates' Court. 

Following her murder, Northamptonshire Police has now referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous contact with Brella.  

Neighbours have since reported hearing fierce arguments at Brella's home in the days before her disappearance. One neighbour said that the woman (Brella) "Sounded scared" during one particularly heated exchange.  

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The victim's sister, Sonia Dabas, shared the family's grief and said they "thought something was wrong" by 13 November after her phone was off for two days.

Her father, Satbir Brella, has called for justice, saying, "I want my son-in-law to be brought to justice and I want my daughter's body brought home."

As the investigation unfolds, detectives have released CCTV images of the silver Vauxhall Corsa, urging anyone with information about Lamba’s movements to come forward. 

DCI Campbell in a statement said: "I would urge anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or had any sightings of Pankaj Lamba in Corby, Ilford or elsewhere in the days leading up to the discovery of Harshita's body, to contact police as soon as possible."

"Any information, no matter how small, may be relevant to the investigation and help us get justice for Harshita."

The inquest into Brella’s death will open in Northampton on Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, police continue their search for Lamba, who remains at large. 

(With inputs from agencies)