Family ask why killer has not been caught 12 months on

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.

Northamptonshire Police said: “This is an exceptionally complex case and with criminal proceedings now active in the UK, we are unable to go into detail about the investigation at this time. However, we can confirm that the Indian authorities have been made aware through the appropriate channels of the charging decision.”

The Indian government has told the BBC they are in touch with the UK government on the matter, but neither side answered clearly about whether an extradition notice for Pankaj Lamba had been forwarded to the Indian authorities.

Harshita’s family also told the BBC that they believe Pankaj Lamba is in India, being shielded by Indian police.

“He has relatives who are policemen. In March this year, he was seen on CCTV footage withdrawing money from a bank. Then how come he’s not been found yet? This is all because of corruption,” says Sonia. The family also says they have information that in the early months of this year, Pankaj was running a shop in Gurgaon, not far from where they live.

“They [the Delhi Police] are just killing time,” Sonia says.

The Delhi Police did not respond to Sonia’s accusations. They told the BBC that they have acted on the basis of a dowry complaint filed by Harshita’s parents against Mr Lamba and members of his family, including his parents and sister, who were arrested and are now out on bail.

The Delhi Police also say they issued public notices earlier this year offering a reward for information about Mr Lamba, and the search for him is still under way.

Pankaj Lamba’s family home is in the village of Dharauli, about 40 miles (65km) north of Delhi, and not far from Gurgaon where Ms Brella’s family believe he was sighted in March. His parents Sudesh and Darshan Lamba didn’t want to be interviewed when the BBC visited.

But they rejected all the charges against them and their son. They claim they have not had any contact with him since 10 November 2024 – the same day that Harshita’s family last had contact with her.

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.

Her mother points to the shoes she’s wearing. They’re Harshita’s and were among her possessions from the UK returned to her family by British officials who visited them in July.

“They are tight for me, but I feel close to her when I wear them,” says Sudesh Kumari. “Sometimes I feel she’s still in the UK, I cannot believe she is gone.”

Additional reporting: Aakriti Thapar, Adnan Bhat, Sanjay Ganguly