The family of Harshita Brella, a Delhi woman murdered in London, is campaigning in the UK to bring her husband, the accused, to justice and highlight the issue of domestic abuse against migrant Indian women.
Key Points
- Harshita Brella, a 24-year-old woman from Delhi, was found murdered in east London in November 2024.
- Her husband, Pankaj Lamba, is charged with her murder and is currently on the run.
- Harshita's family is campaigning in the UK for justice and for Lamba's arrest and extradition.
- Prior to her death, Harshita had reported domestic abuse to the authorities, and a Domestic Violence Protection Order had been issued against Lamba.
- An investigation found that police officers should face misconduct proceedings in connection with the handling of the case.
The family of Harshita Brella, the Delhi woman found murdered in east London, held a prayer meeting in her memory nearby on Sunday as they brought their campaign for justice to the UK.
The body of the 24-year-old was found inside the boot of a car in Ilford in November 2024 and her husband, Pankaj Lamba, remains on the run charged with her murder.
Harshita's father Satbir Singh Brella, mother Sudesh Kumari and sister Sonia Dabas travelled to her home in Corby, Northamptonshire, where she is believed to have been strangled before her body was discovered four days later in London.
Family's Heartbreaking Tribute and Call for Justice
"It has been a heartbreaking visit for us because it felt like Harshita was somewhere around watching us and would suddenly appear with her warm smile to welcome us," Dabas told PTI.
"We wanted to pay our tributes to her at the spot where she breathed her last. I would not wish such pain and grief upon anyone. We are here to seek justice for Harshita at all costs.
"Many mistakes have already been made but it is time to fix those errors and ensure no other young girl suffers a similar tragedy due to a failure of the rules and regulations. My sister's murderer must be arrested soon and brought to justice," she said.
Support for Migrant Indian Women
The Delhi-based family's UK visit is being supported by the women's rights group Indian Ladies in UK (ILUK) and the Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council (NREC).
"Abuse of migrant Indian women like Harshita Brella is endemic in the UK, as evident by the hundreds of such victims that ILUK has worked with over the years," said Poonam Joshi, founder of ILUK.
"These victims become completely isolated when they travel to the UK and have little or no access to the support that Harshita, for example, tragically needed," she said.
Details of the Case
The couple married in India in August 2023 and Brella moved to Corby, in the East Midlands region of England, to join her husband in April 2024.
Within months, she made a domestic abuse report to the authorities and her body was discovered six weeks after a month-long Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) issued by Northamptonshire Police against Pankaj Lamba had expired.
A review by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found that four officers from the police force should face misconduct proceedings in connection with the handling of the case.
Investigation and Ongoing Search
A series of CCTV images of Lamba released by the police indicate the murder took place on November 10 at Brella's home in Corby and her body was driven to London, some 145 kms away, before he abandoned the car and fled the country.
An inquest logged her provisional cause of death as "manual strangulation pending toxicology and histology."
Lamba, 23, was charged with his wife's murder and also faces charges of rape, sexual assault and controlling or coercive behaviour. He remains on the run with reports indicating sightings of him in and around Delhi.
The victim's family has brought their appeal to the British authorities to work with their Indian counterparts to apprehend the accused and extradite him to the UK to face trial.
