Almost a week after the murdered body of a woman was found inside the boot of a car in east London, questions still remain over her murder and the police’s main suspect.
Harshita Brella was found dead inside the boot of a car in London five days ago and police have named her husband as the prime suspect in the murder of the 24-year-old. Pankaj Lamba is believed to have fled the country, according to Northamptonshire Police, and an international manhunt is underway to try and track down the 23-year-old.
CCTV images of the suspect have been released by police, with Ms Brella’s preliminary cause of death found to be strangulation. Detectives believe Ms Brella was killed in Corby – where she lives – before being transported to Ilford, east London by car.
The vehicle was found abandoned in the early hours of Thursday and a murder investigation was launched. Five days on from Ms Brella’s body being discovered, there are still a handful of unanswered questions surrounding the gruesome death. The Mirror has taken a deeper look at the unsolved mysteries below.
Why was her body found so far from her home?
Ms Brella lived in Corby, Northamptonshire with husband Lamba, with the couple getting married earlier this year. But her body was discovered dumped inside the boot of a car almost 100 miles away in Ilford, east London.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell, said: “Our inquiries have established that Pankaj Lamba drove a Silver Vauxhall Corsa from Corby to Ilford sometime on the morning of Monday, November 11. We suspect Harshita’s body had been placed in the boot of the vehicle by Lamba before leaving Corby. Lamba then abandoned the vehicle in Brisbane Road, Ilford and made his getaway.”
Why the vehicle was parked on Brisbane Road specifically, close to an entrance to Valentines Park, is not known. Detectives believe Ms Brella’s husband has fled the country, however, so it’s possible the suspect chose the location due to its many international transport links, with Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport not too far away.
Where is her husband?
Northamptonshire Police confirmed on Tuesday that they believe Lamba has fled the country. Exactly where is not yet known, although detectives have been piecing together hours of CCTV footage in the Corby and Ilford area to track his movements.
A CCTV image of a Silver Vauxhall Corsa, the vehicle he allegedly used to transport Ms Brella’s body to Ilford, parked in Brisbane Road was released to the public on Tuesday. Also released was an image of Lamba walking down nearby Jaffe Road after allegedly dumping the vehicle with his wife inside.
DCI Campbell added: “We are continuing to appeal for information and I would urge anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or had any sightings of Pankaj Lamba in Corby, Ilford or elsewhere in the days leading up to the discovery of Harshita’s body, to contact police as soon as possible. Any information, no matter how small, may be relevant to the investigation and help us get justice for Harshita.”
How long was Harshita dead before being found in car boot?
Ms Brella’s heartbroken family have said they last spoke to the 24-year-old by phone on Sunday, November 10. Her phone was reportedly off for the next two days, BBC News reported, and by Wednesday, November 13 their concerns were raised to police.
Officers attended Ms Brella’s home address in Skegness Walk, Corby “after receiving a call regarding concerns for her welfare” and a missing person investigation was launched. Enquiries led to her body being discovered in the boot of a vehicle in London in the early hours of Thursday.
According to DCI Campbell, detectives believe Ms Brella was killed in Corby on the evening of November 10. A forensic post-mortem examination carried out at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday, November 15 gave the preliminary cause of death as strangulation.
What was police’s ‘previous contact’ with Harshita?
Northamptonshire Police have confirmed that Ms Brella had been subjected to domestic violence during her short life and, back in early September, a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) was handed down at Northampton Magistrates’ Court to protect her from her abuser.
Under this order, which lasted just 28 days, the perpetrator of the violence – who has not been named for legal reasons – was banned from visiting the 24-year-old at her workplace. This person was prevented from molesting her, from threatening violence, or intimidating, harassing or pestering her. They were also ordered not to encourage or instruct others to contact her in any way.
This order was served by Northamptonshire Police and implemented by magistrates. In the months since, no formal charges have been recorded by the court regarding this person, who was released following the court hearing and ordered to pay the full costs. Northamptonshire Police made a mandatory self-referral to the IOPC after having had ‘previous contact’ with Ms Brella.
What was ‘row’ neighbour heard days before body found about?
A neighbour previously spoke with the Mirror about an aggressive argument she’d overheard taking place between a man and a woman in Ms Brella’s house on the same day officers were contacted about the young wife’s welfare. Single mother Kelly Philp, 41, who lived next door to Ms Brella, told us how she’d heard a female sound frightened during the heated row.
Kelly, whose bedroom shares a wall with a room in Ms Brella’s house, recalled: “I heard a commotion between a man and a woman and I heard banging around. They were arguing in a different language so I couldn’t understand what was being said.
“But it sounded angry and there were raised voices and the woman sounded scared. I had a funeral to attend the day after and had my own daughter to look after so I didn’t call police – I just thought it was a relationship argument.”
In the early hours of Saturday morning, Kelly says she heard a back gate slam loudly and two males arguing, again in a foreign language. Kelly said: “My initial feeling when I saw police was that someone must have been hurt as I already had my suspicions. I feel really on edge now and vulnerable. I feel so sad about the loss of the lass. I can’t get over it, I can’t believe it.”
According to Kelly, the residence had been occupied by around five people, who she thinks are Eastern European. She also believes Ms Brella lived there for around one year. Kelly went on to state that last year, as many as 12 residents were living at the property, adding that people ‘come and go’ from the house.
