Newlywed who was found dead in boot of car would still be alive if she wasn't told to stay in UK, family says

The family of murdered Indian newlywed Harshita Brella has claimed she would still be alive today if Northamptonshire Police had not advised her against leaving Britain.

The 24-year-old's relatives allege that officers told her she could not return to India while her domestic abuse case remained active, leaving her trapped in the country where she would later be killed.

Ms Brella is believed to have been strangled in her home on November 10 2024. Her body was discovered four days later in the boot of a vehicle in Ilford, east London.

Her husband Pankaj Lamba, 23, has been charged with her murder but remains at large, with authorities believing he fled to India following her death.

She had contacted Northamptonshire Police on August 29 2024, reporting that Lamba had allegedly attacked her at their shared address in Corby.

Lamba, who was in the UK on a student visa while studying management and working part-time as a security guard, was arrested on September 3.

Officers released him on bail with conditions prohibiting contact with his wife and issued a domestic violence protection order.

Despite these measures, Ms Brella was dead within weeks of making her complaint.

A manhunt for Lamba continues, with investigators believing he remains in India.

Northamptonshire Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following Ms Brella's death, a mandatory requirement given officers' prior contact with the victim.

The IOPC investigation concluded that four officers should face misconduct proceedings over how they handled the young woman's domestic abuse allegations.

"It is our view the officers may potentially have breached police standards of professional behaviour," the watchdog stated last November.

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Two detective constables face the most serious charges, with the IOPC determining they have a case to answer for gross misconduct relating to their investigation into Ms Brella's claims.

A sergeant and chief inspector must also answer misconduct allegations concerning their supervision and review of the case.

Northamptonshire Police has confirmed that proceedings against all four officers are currently under way.

Ms Brella's sister Sonia Dabas told the Daily Mail: "She was terrified at that time and we wanted her to come back home to India where she would be safe."

"But she told me the police officer said that neither she nor Pankaj could leave the country because her case was active. This is one of the worst things for us. Had she come back at that time as we all wanted, she would still be alive today."

The victim's father Satbir Singh Brella, who resides near Delhi, described his daughter as "completely broken" after police placed her in a women's refuge alone following her arrival in Britain in April 2024.

"If the police had not said that to her, we would have booked the ticket and brought her home to India right away," Mr Brella said.

The family has travelled to England to meet with MPs and Northamptonshire Police in their pursuit of justice.

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