Young woman found dead in boot of car in Essex believed to have been strangled by husband, police say

New CCTV footage has emerged of the person of interest in the murder of 24 year old Harshita Brella, as detectives announced she had been strangled. The footage show Ms Brella's spouse, Pankaj Lamba, in Ilford after he is suspected of murdering her and disposing of her body in a car boot.

Police officers from the Northamptonshire force suspect she was killed on the evening of Sunday, November 10 in Corby, with her body then transported to Ilford the following day inside the car boot. Following the gruesome find in the early hours of Thursday parked on Brisbane Road, an international search for the suspect commenced.

A post-mortem examination at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday listed strangulation as the preliminary cause of her death, Police said. New images have been issued by the investigative team to urgently encourage anyone having crossed paths with the supposed murderer from Sunday morning through the evening of Monday, November 11 to get in touch with police.

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Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell from the East Midlands Special Operations major crime unit, leading the inquiry, remarked: "We are working closely with policing colleagues and our partners in the CPS, and in order to secure justice for Harshita, there are certain aspects of this investigation we are unable to comment on."

He continued, revealing further details of the suspect's actions: "Our inquiries have established that Pankaj Lamba drove a Silver Vauxhall Corsa from Corby to Ilford sometime on the morning of Monday November 11."

DCI Campbell disclosed a key finding: "We suspect Harshita’s body had been placed in the boot of the vehicle by Lamba before leaving Corby."

"Lamba then abandoned the vehicle in Brisbane Road, Ilford and made his getaway. Any information, no matter how small, may be relevant to the investigation and help us get justice for Harshita."

Ms Brella’s parents, speaking from India, told BBC News they "want justice" after their daughter’s death. Sonia Dabas, Ms Brella’s sister, said the family "thought something was wrong" by November 13 after her phone was off for two days, and asked people to file a complaint.

A neighbour has said she heard two blistering rows, involving one where a woman "sounded scared", days before Ms Brella’s body was found. A police spokesman confirmed Ms Brella had previously been the victim of domestic violence and was made 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. Anyone who may have information is asked to call police on 101 quoting Operation Westcott or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.