Indian-origin woman's dead body found in car trunk, UK police launch manhunt

The dead body of an Indian-origin 24-year-old woman, identified as Harshita Brella, was found in the trunk of a car in east London after the police were informed that she had gone missing in Corby, Northamptonshire.

On Saturday (Nov.16), the police launched an inquiry into the murder of the woman.

According to the police, they received a call on Wednesday (Nov. 13) asking about the well-being of Harshita, after which officers were sent to her home.

However, when the police did not get any answer, they launched an investigation for the missing person and later found the body of the victim inside the boot of a car on Brisbane Road in the Ilford area of London on Thursday (Nov.14).

The body's post-mortem was conducted at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday (Nov. 15).

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Senior Investigating Officer from the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU), Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell said, "First of all, I want to express my heartfelt condolences to everyone who loved Harshita Brella."

"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," he added.

Police launch manhunt for woman's husband

According to the investigators, Harshita was killed in a "targeted incident".

"Although we believe Harshita was attacked by someone known to her, we are keeping an open mind, and would appeal to anyone who knew her to contact us with any relevant information they may have," said Campbell.

"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," he added.

According to the police, Bell was murdered by her husband Pankaj Lamba in Northamptonshire.

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In a press conference on Sunday (Nov. 17), Northamptonshire Police Chief Inspector Paul Cash said, "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."

"Detectives from EMSOU (East Midlands Special Operations Unit) 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," Cash added.

Neighbour says Brella 'sounded scared'

A neighbour of Brella said that she “sounded scared” days before her death.

Kelly Philp stated she had overheard an argument which was happening between a man and a woman.

“They were arguing in a different language so I couldn’t understand what was being said,” said Philp, while speaking to 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 the police. I just thought it was a relationship argument. I feel so sad about the loss of the lass. I can’t get over it. I can’t believe it," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)