Family of woman found dead in car in London say police failed her

The family of a woman found dead in a car boot in east London have accused police of not doing enough to protect her, saying she had filed a complaint alleging domestic abuse by her husband weeks before.

- Hannah Ellis-Petersen

The body of Harshita Brella, a 24-year-old Indian citizen who was living in Northamptonshire, was discovered last Thursday in a car in Ilford. Police have named her husband, Pankaj Lamba, as the main suspect for the killing and believe he has fled the country.

A postmortem found Brella died of strangulation, and Northamptonshire police released images ofa silver Vauxhall Corsa they believe Lamba used to transport her body as they urged anyone with information, "no matter how small", to come forward.

Brella was born in the Indian capital of Delhi and had only moved to the UK in April, after her marriage to Lamba in August 2023.

Speaking from the family home in Delhi, her elder sister, Sonia Brella, said: "I believe the police did not do enough to help her or protect my sister. She was very innocent, so kindhearted but just a kid really. She reported her abuse but the police processes just made her feel even more scared and alone. It drove her back to Pankaj."

Sonia said Harshita had begun to face difficulties in the marriage when she arrived in the UK. It had been arranged, as is a common tradition in India, and Harshita had only met her husband for three days before she moved with him to the UK.