Police in India have arrested the parents of a man suspected of killing his wife and leaving her body in the boot of his car in London.
Harshita Brella, 24, was found in her husband Pankaj Lamba’s Vauxhall Corsa parked in Ilford, east London, in the early hours of 14 November. A post-mortem examination found she died from strangulation
Surendra Chaudhary, deputy commissioner of police in Delhi, said Lamba’s mother and father, Sunil Devi and Darshan Singh, were arrested on March 14 and sent to judicial custody.
“Lamba’s sister Uma is currently absconding and raids are on to nab her as well,” he said.
“Further investigation is under way.”
Sonia Dabas, sister of Harshita, told Sky News: “This is a good development in the case that the parents have been arrested and criminal investigations begun.
“The police have so far been sleeping and non-active on this case. Now that Delhi High Court has asked for a status report next week from the Delhi police, the federal home and foreign ministry they have got their act together. It’s the pressure from the courts.”
In an initial report as part of the police criminal investigation, which is separate to the murder investigation under way in the UK, the parents, sister and her husband have been named in connection with offences.
Police in Delhi have registered the case under the offence of dowry death, which refers to the deaths of married women who are murdered or driven to suicide over disputes about dowry.
Harshita Brella. Pic: Northamptonshire Police
Under the Indian penal code, dowry deaths involve “the death of a woman caused by burns or bodily injury… within seven years of her marriage, if she was subjected to cruelty or harassment for, or in connection with, a dowry demand”.
Harshita’s family believe Pankaj was on a flight to Delhi that arrived on 12 November and Sonia suggested “he may be somewhere in Haryana or near Chandigarh”, states in northern India.
Dharoli, in the northern state of Haryana, is the family home of Lamba where his father, mother and sister still live.
Northamptonshire Police had previously named Lamba as the main suspect in her death and launched an international manhunt for him. They believe he fled the country after the incident.
When the news of the case broke, the village of about 2,000 people closed ranks and stopped outsiders from entering for fear of the disgrace the case brought the village.
A few days later Sky News was given access and spoke to Sunita, a neighbour.
“I was shocked to hear the news, I could not believe how could such a big thing happen,” she said.
“The family is very good, no complaints of them ever. Ask anyone in the village, there were no shortcomings. But we cannot say if the boy could be capable of doing something like this.”
Lamba lived in the village until he finished primary school, before going on to pursue higher education while living with his uncle and aunt in Gurugram, south of Delhi.
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Lamba and Ms Brella entered into an arranged marriage, with a legal wedding held in August 2023, before the couple moved to the UK in April 2024.
Ms Brella had previously been made the subject of a domestic violence protection order (DVPO) at Northampton Magistrates’ Court in September.
Northamptonshire Police have made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of previous contact with Ms Brella.
A neighbour of the couple, from Corby, said she heard two blistering rows, involving one where a woman “sounded scared”, days before Ms Brella’s body was found.
