Police seek husband of murdered Harshita Brella

Police have released a photo of Pankaj Lamba, who they believe has fled the country

Police have said they are searching for the husband of Harshita Brella after her body was found in the boot of a car.

They believe Pankaj Lamba murdered 24-year-old Ms Brella in Northamptonshire earlier this month.

Mr Lamba is suspected to have fled the country after transporting her body by car to Ilford, east London.

Ch Insp Paul Cash, from Northamptonshire Police, said: "I urge anyone listening to or reading this statement, that if you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us."

Police say they will continue to appeal for any information to help piece together exactly what happened to Ms Brella

Ms Brella, from Corby, Northamptonshire, was found by officers in the early hours of Thursday in a vehicle on Brisbane Road, Ilford.

Northamptonshire Police had been contacted on Wednesday regarding concerns for her welfare, which led to the discovery of her body and the launch of a murder investigation.

The force said it had made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because there was previous contact with Ms Brella.

Northamptonshire Telegraph first reported she was the subject of a domestic violence protection order, saying it was made in early September and lasted 28 days.

Police have since confirmed the order had been in place before Ms Brella's death.

Ms Brella's body was found about 100 miles away from her home in Corby

Ch Insp Cash described her as a young woman in her early 20s, with her whole life ahead of her and everything to live for.

"It is absolutely tragic that her life has been cut short in this way," he said.

More than 60 detectives are working on the case and are following numerous lines of inquiry

The East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit and Northamptonshire Police are working with the Metropolitan Police to establish the circumstances behind Ms Brella’s death.

This included determining the exact location and timeframe in which it took place, the unit said.

Northamptonshire Police said a forensic post-mortem examination, which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday, established Ms Brella was murdered.

The force said there would be extra neighbourhood officer patrols in Corby in the coming days to reassure the public.

On Sunday, police were in the area where Ms Brella lived