An international manhunt is underway for the husband of a woman named Harshita Brella, whose body was found in the trunk of a car 100 miles away from her home. The police are looking for Pankaj Lamba, who they believe murdered Harshita before fleeing the country.
Harshita Brella, 24, was discovered in the car boot on Brisbane Road in Ilford, after her home in Corby, Northamptonshire was found empty. The police started searching for her after receiving calls expressing concern for her well-being, but found her home deserted. Eventually, her body was found in a car in east London, nearly 96 miles away from her residence.
A postmortem examination confirmed that Harshita had been murdered. The Northamptonshire Police have referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to their previous contact with Harshita before her death.
Chief Inspector Paul Cash of Northamptonshire Police suspects that Harshita was killed by her husband, Pankaj Lamba, in Northamptonshire and that he then transported her body to Ilford. The authorities have released an image of Mr. Lamba and are asking for any information that could help with the investigation.
It was reported that Harshita Brella had been a victim of domestic violence in the past and had a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) issued against her husband two months prior to her death. The police are urging anyone with relevant information to come forward and assist in solving Harshita’s murder.
Chief Inspector Paul Cash emphasized the importance of even the smallest piece of information in such cases and urged the public to contact the authorities with any details that could help bring Harshita’s killer to justice. Information can be shared by calling 101 and quoting incident number Operation Westcott, or through the online public portal at www.mipp.police.uk. Alternatively, individuals can contact Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555111.
