UK police have travelled to India as part of their ongoing search for Pankaj Lamba, the man accused of killing his wife, Harshita Brella, in the UK last year. He was seen running a shop in Delhi earlier this year, as per reports.
Brella, 24, was found strangled and hidden in the boot of a car in Ilford, East London, on November 14, 2024. Investigators believe she was murdered days earlier, on 10 November, in Corby, Northamptonshire. Lamba fled to India soon after the crime and remains missing.
The couple, both from Delhi, moved to the UK earlier that year.
In March earlier this year, Northamptonshire Police charged Lamba with murder, rape, sexual assault and forceful behaviour, the BBC reported. Detectives travelled to India in July to meet Harshita Brella's family and return her belongings.
According to ITV News, Lamba was seen running a snack and vegetable store near Delhi, close to his childhood home. He reportedly kept his face covered and was often seen with a woman and a young child. His former teacher, Sunil Saini, said he last saw Lamba in April when the store suddenly shut down.
“He contacted me again in February or March. Before leaving town, he came to meet me and mentioned that he had some items from a restaurant,” said Saini. “He said, ‘If you're planning to open a restaurant, you can use them or if not, you can try to sell them.' This conversation took place around the 10th or 11th of April this year.”
The shop has since turned into an egg store, and locals believe Lamba left the area when police began closing in.
“Why has her killer not been caught yet?” Brella's mother, Sudesh Kumari, told the BBC. “Neither the UK government nor the Indian government are doing anything. I want justice for my daughter. Only then will I find peace.”
Her sister Sonia Dabas says the family feels ignored by both governments.
“We are very disappointed with the UK police. Maybe because we are not citizens of the UK, that's why they are not serious about this case.”
Weeks before her murder, Harshita Brella reported domestic abuse by her husband. Police arrested Lamba but released him on bail with restrictions that expired a month before her death. “That's when Pankaj figured out that the UK police are not really serious about this case, and he felt he could get away with murder,” Dabas said.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating four Northamptonshire Police officers over how they handled Brella's abuse complaint. The IOPC says its report has been completed and shared with the force, which has until mid-November to respond.
