THE family of the British Asian woman who was found dead in the boot of a car in east London has alleged that she faced domestic violence and dowry harassment.
Police believe Harshita Brella, 24, was murdered by manual strangulation in Corby, Northamptonshire, on 10 November, with her husband Pankaj Lamba, 23, now identified as the primary suspect in the homicide investigation.
British and Indian law enforcement agencies have initiated a joint search Lamba following the discovery of her body on 14 November in Ilford.
Brella's family has painted a devastating picture of relentless dowry harassment and domestic violence that they believe led to her murder.
Her sister Sonia Brella told reporters, "The family had given a lot of dowry to Pankaj, but still he was not happy. He kept demanding dowry from us."
Her father Sabir Brella described a pattern of escalating abuse, saying Pankaj would "beat her and force her to get money". Despite the financial and emotional pressure, Brella hoped for normalcy, continuing to provide money to her husband.
Harshita Brella (Photo: Northamptonshire Police)The family's timeline reveals a disturbing sequence of events. On 29 August, Brella filed a domestic violence complaint after being beaten. Subsequently, Lamba's family visited their home demanding more dowry, forcing her father to sell property to meet their demands.
Sonia described their final conversation: "We had the last video call with Harshita on 10 November when she told us she was preparing food for Pankaj. From the next day, her phone was not reachable. We had a feeling that Pankaj had killed her by then."
According to reports, a domestic violence order against Lamba had been in place but was not renewed.
Sonia claimed the case was closed on 30 October when Pankaj paid a fine - a detail Brella was not informed about.
The family now believes Lamba fled to India immediately after the murder. "We have proof of him coming back to India, which we have told to London police," Sonia said. They have filed harassment complaints with both British and Indian authorities.
Most suspiciously, when Sonia contacted Lamba's mother about the murder, she reportedly responded coldly. The family finds this reaction deeply troubling, suggesting potential prior knowledge of the crime.
In another development, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has initiated a comprehensive investigation into Northamptonshire Police's response to Brella's domestic abuse allegations.
The watchdog on Tuesday (26) revealed that Lamba was arrested on 3 September after Brella's complaint and subsequently released with specific bail conditions and a domestic violence protection notice. The IOPC will meticulously review the police's actions and decisions in their interactions with Brella.
IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell confirmed that the investigation stems from a self-referral by the police force after Brella's original complaint in August. "We will be examining the police response to Brella's report of domestic abuse made at the end of August this year," Campbell said.
"We will look into further contact Northamptonshire Police had with Brella concerning the case."
He added that the IOPC will personally contact Brella's family to explain the scope of their investigation and "express our sincere condolences".
The investigation represents a critical examination of potential systemic failures in protecting domestic abuse victims, with particular focus on the period between Brella's initial complaint and her subsequent murder.
(Photo credit: PTI)
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