On the morning of 11 November, police in Ilford, east London, found a body inside the boot of a silver Vauxhall Corsa parked on Brisbane Road. The body was that of Harshita Brela, a 24-year-old Indian woman who was born in Delhi and moved to the United Kingdom in April this year after marrying Pankaj Lamba in August last year. A few days ago, she had gone missing from her home in Northamptonshire. The post-mortem of the body revealed that she had been strangled.
According to the police, Harshita was probably murdered by her 23-year-old husband Pankaj, who reportedly fled the country soon after committing the crime. Harshita’s body was taken 145 kilometers south to Ilford before being hidden in the trunk of a car and abandoned.
“Our inquiries led us to suspect that Harshita was murdered by her husband Pankaj Lamba in Northamptonshire earlier this month,” Northampton Police said.
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“We suspect that Lamba drove Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford (East London) by car. We believe he has now fled the country… More than 60 detectives are working on the case and the house “Multiple inquiries are continuing, including door-to-door, property searches, CCTV and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition),” the statement said.
Harshita was last heard from on the evening of 10 November, when she told her family that she was preparing dinner and waiting for her husband’s return. Concerns grew when his phone remained switched off for two days, leading his family to contact Northamptonshire Police on 13 November. Officers visiting his home on Skegness Walk found no trace of him, prompting an investigation.
In the early hours of the next day, 14 November, his body was discovered in Ilford. By then, Pankaj had disappeared, evading the authorities and triggering an international search operation.
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The murder investigation revealed that Harshita had faced domestic violence. In September, she was granted a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) against her husband following incidents of abuse. However, despite legal measures, the threat remained.
Neighbors reported hearing arguments coming from the couple’s home in the days before their deaths. One remembered a particularly intense confrontation in which a woman “looked scared.”
Harshita’s family, who lives in Delhi, expressed their grief in media interviews. Her father Satbir Brela described her as a simple, determined young woman who aspired to become a teacher. After marrying Pankaj in an arranged relationship, she moved to the UK in April 2023. According to Harshita’s sister Sonia Dabas, she worked in a warehouse and Pankaj was a student in London.
“I want my son-in-law to be brought to justice and I want my daughter’s body to be brought home,” Harshita’s father Satbir Brela was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Sonia said, “She was a part of me and I was a part of her. Now I feel I can’t do anything in life without her.” He told that Harshita had earlier also run away from her house after being attacked by Pankaj but returned. hope to save marriage
According to the family, Pankaj had complained to Harshita’s mother about not talking to her often or not cooking food on time. In August, Harshita called her father and said that she had run away because of Pankaj’s violent behaviour.
CCTV images released by police show a silver Vauxhall Corsa, which investigators believe was used to transport Harshita’s body. However, Pankaj’s address is unknown. Police have appealed to the public for any information they may have regarding any sightings of Pankaj or suspicious activity in Corby and Ilford at the time of the murder.
