Justice for Harshita: Family Demands Answers a Year After Murder

Mon Nov 10 2025 21:58:11 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The family of Harshita Brella expresses disbelief and frustration as her killer remains unapprehended one year after her tragic murder in the UK.

One year ago, Harshita Brella was killed, and her family is still seeking justice as her husband, the main suspect, remains at large. Concerns about the investigation's pace and international cooperation have left the family feeling abandoned and frustrated, highlighting issues of domestic abuse and systemic failures in law enforcement.

One year since Harshita Brella was strangled to death in the UK, there is a sense of disbelief in her family home in the Indian capital Delhi.

Why has her killer not been caught yet? Neither the UK government nor the Indian government are doing anything, Harshita's mother Sudesh Kumari says, sobbing into her scarf. I want justice for my daughter. Only then will I find peace.

Harshita's body was found in the boot of a car in Ilford, east London, on 14 November 2024, a day after her family contacted UK police to say they had not heard from her since 10 November.

Police believe Harshita, 24, was murdered on that day in Corby, Northamptonshire, by her husband Pankaj Lamba, who fled to India soon after the killing and is still on the run.

The couple, both Indian nationals, had moved from Delhi to the UK, settling in Corby earlier that year.

In March this year, police in Northamptonshire charged him with murder. He also faces charges of rape, sexual assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.

Harshita's sister Sonia Dabas is frustrated with the pace of investigations. 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. They are sending out a message that foreign nationals are not safe in the UK, she told the BBC.

Roughly two months before Harshita was killed, on 3 September, she had filed a case of domestic abuse against her husband. He was arrested and later released on bail on condition that he did not harass, pester or intimidate Harshita.

The Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) expired four weeks later, on 1 October.

Sonia accuses Northamptonshire Police of being negligent in following up on the domestic abuse case. 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, she says.

Four officers of the Northamptonshire Police are being investigated over their handling of Harshita's domestic abuse report and their interaction with her, by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The IOPC told the BBC this week that their investigation was complete and had been shared with Northamptonshire Police. Northamptonshire Police say they have been given until mid-November to respond to the IOPC's findings.

Pankaj Lamba's family home is in the village of Dharauli, about 40 miles (65km) north of Delhi. His parents Sudesh and Darshan Lamba rejected all the charges against their son. They claim they have not had any contact with him since 10 November 2024.

For Harshita's father, Satbir Singh Brella, the days are filled with visits to police stations and courts. My daughter was so straightforward, and kind-hearted. A really terrible thing happened to her, he says.

As the search for justice continues, Harshita's family hopes that pressure on both the UK and Indian governments will intensify and lead to Pankaj's capture and prosecution.