Police seek husband of murdered Harshita Brella

Police have said they are searching for Pankaj Lamba, the husband of Harshita Brella, after her body was found in the boot of a vehicle.

Ms Brella, 24, is believed to have been murdered in Northamptonshire earlier this month by Mr Lamba, said police.

Police suspect Mr Lamba fled the country after transporting Ms Brella’s body by car from Northamptonshire to Ilford, east London.

Ch Insp Paul Cash, from Northamptonshire Police, said: “I urge anyone listening to or reading this statement, that if you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us.”

Ms Brella, from Corby, Northamptonshire, was found by officers in the early hours of Thursday in a vehicle on Brisbane Road, Ilford.

Northamptonshire Police had been contacted on Wednesday regarding concerns for Ms Brella’s welfare, which led to the discovery of her body and the launch of a murder investigation.

Ch Insp Cash described her as a young woman in her early 20s, with her whole life ahead of her and everything to live for.

“It is absolutely tragic that her life has been cut short in this way,” he said.

Northamptonshire Police said it had made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because of previous contact between the force and Ms Brella.

Officers and detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit and Northamptonshire Police, have been working with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police, to establish the circumstances behind Ms Brella’s death.

This includes determining the exact location and timeframe in which it took place, the unit said.

A forensic post-mortem examination, which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary on 15 November, established that Ms Brella had been murdered, police said.

The force said additional neighbourhood officer patrols will be seen in Corby in the coming days to reassure the public.