A murder investigation was launched after the woman’s body was found inside the boot of the vehicle in east London
An international manhunt to find the husband of a woman who was murdered and found in the boot of a car has begun. Police have named Pankaj Lamba as the prime suspect in the murder of 24-year-old Harshita Brella, of Corby, Northamptonshire.
During a press conference in Kettering, 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.”
A murder inquiry was launched after Harshita’s body was found inside the boot of the vehicle in Brisbane Road in Ilford, east London, in the early hours of Thursday. The force was contacted on Wednesday by a member of the public concerned for her welfare and officers went to her home in Skegness Walk, Corby, but got no answer.
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A missing person investigation was launched and her body was found in the car before a post-mortem examination established that she had been murdered. Northamptonshire Police have also made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of previous contact between the force and Ms Brella.
Chief Inspector Cash said police had followed “a number of lines of investigation and carried out numerous inquiries”. He added: “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.”
More than 60 detectives are now working on the case. Investigators are carrying out house-to-house inquiries and property searches, and looking at CCTV and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) images in order to try and find leads.
Chief Inspector Cash urged anyone who thinks they can help bring Ms Brella’s killer to justice to get in touch. He said: “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.”
Extra police patrols will be taking place in Corby in the coming days to reassure the public but officers believe there is no wider risk. Anyone who may have information is asked to call police on 101 quoting Operation Westcott or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. They can also submit information online at mipp.police.uk.
