In brief
One year after Harshita Brella was found murdered in London, her family in India questions the authorities' efforts to bring her killer, her husband Pankaj Lamba, to justice. Despite ongoing investigations and charges against Lamba, he remains a fugitive in India, leading her relatives to express disappointment over the pace and seriousness of police actions.
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.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 conditions that he did not harass, pester, or intimidate Harshita. The Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) expired four weeks later.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.' Four officers of the Northamptonshire Police are being investigated over their handling of Harshita's domestic abuse report.In March this year, police in Northamptonshire charged Pankaj Lamba with murder, and he also faces charges of rape, sexual assault, and controlling or coercive behavior. As investigations continue, the family remains hopeful but deeply frustrated by the complexities and perceived negligence surrounding the case, calling for a more robust response from both the UK and Indian authorities.
