International manhunt under way for man ‘who killed wife and hid body in car’

An international manhunt is under way for the husband of a woman who was murdered and found in the boot of a car.

Northamptonshire Police have named Pankaj Lamba as the prime suspect in the murder of 24-year-old Harshita Brella, of Corby.

Chief Inspector Paul Cash told a press conference in Kettering: “Inquiries lead us to suspect that Harshita was murdered in Northamptonshire earlier this month by her husband Pankaj Lamba.

“We suspect Lamba transported Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford by car. We believe he has now fled the country.

A murder inquiry was launched after her body was found inside the boot of the vehicle in Brisbane Road in Ilford, east London, in the early hours of Thursday.

The force was contacted on Wednesday by a member of the public concerned for her welfare.

Officers went to her home in Skegness Walk, Corby, but got no answer.

A missing person investigation was launched and her body was found in the car.

A post-mortem examination established that she had been murdered.

Earlier a police spokesman confirmed that Ms Brella had previously been the victim of domestic violence and in early September was made subject of a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) at Northampton Magistrates’ Court.

Northamptonshire Police have also made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of previous contact between the force and Ms Brella.

If you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us. We would always rather receive well-meaning information that turns out to be nothing as opposed to not receiving it all

Chief Inspector Cash said police had followed “a number of lines of investigation and carried out numerous inquiries”.

He added: “Officers and detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit and Northamptonshire Police, working with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police, have been working around the clock to establish the circumstances behind Harshita’s death, including the exact location and timeframe in which it took place.”

More than 60 detectives are now working on the case.

Investigators are carrying out house-to-house inquiries and property searches, and looking at CCTV and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) images in order to try and find leads.

It was reported that the 28-day DVPO banned the perpetrator of the violence from visiting Ms Brella’s workplace, it was reported.

The person was prevented from molesting her, from threatening violence, or intimidating, harassing or pestering her, and also told not to encourage or instruct others to contact her in any way.

The order was served by Northamptonshire Police and implemented by magistrates.

No formal charges against the same person have since been recorded by the court and they were released following the court hearing but ordered to pay the full costs, according to reports.

Chief Inspector Cash urged anyone who thinks they can help bring Ms Brella’s killer to justice to get in touch.

He said: “If you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us.

“We would always rather receive well-meaning information that turns out to be nothing as opposed to not receiving it all.”

Extra police patrols will be taking place in Corby in the coming days to reassure the public but officers believe there is no wider risk.

Anyone who may have information is asked to call police on 101 quoting Operation Westcott or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

They can also submit information online at mipp.police.uk.