UK police have travelled to India in their continuing search for Pankaj Lamba, accused of killing his wife, Harshita Brella, in 2024. The 24-year-old was found strangled and hidden in a car boot in Ilford, East London, on November 14. Investigators believe she was killed four days earlier in Corby, Northamptonshire.
Lamba fled to India soon after the murder. Reports say he was seen running a snack and vegetable shop near Delhi earlier this year, covering his face and often seen with a woman and child. Locals said he vanished when police began searching nearby.
In March, Northamptonshire Police charged Lamba with murder, rape, sexual assault, and coercive control. Detectives visited India in July to meet Brella’s family and return her belongings.
Her mother, Sudesh Kumari, expressed anger that her daughter’s killer is still free. “Neither the UK government nor the Indian government are doing anything,” she said. Brella’s sister, Sonia Dabas, accused both governments of neglect.
Weeks before her death, Brella had reported domestic abuse. Lamba was arrested but later released on bail. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating four officers over their handling of her complaint.
