Woman told mum ‘he’s going to kill me’ days before ‘murderer’ husband dumped her body in car boot and fled Britain
A WOMAN warned her mum that her husband “is going to kill me” weeks before she was found dead in the boot of a car.
Harshita Brella, 24, was found in a silver Vauxhall Corsa in Ilford, East London, on November 14.
An international manhunt is ongoing for her husband Pankaj Lamba, 23, who is the prime suspect in her murder.
He is believed to have fled the country following her death.
Harshita is understood to have been strangled to death in Corby, Northamptonshire, before her body was driven more than 100 miles to Ilford the following day.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, her mum Sudesh Kamari revealed she had spoken to her daughter about Lamba weeks before her death.
She said: “(Lamba) was making her life miserable. She said I will not go back to him. He will kill me.”
Sudesh said her daughter was “very simple, very innocent” and “did not fight with people.
Harshita’s family believe Lamba is in India, but police in Delhi have claimed they have not received a request from Northamptonshire Police to arrest him.
Her dad Satbir Brella broke down in tears as he described his daughter.
He said: “She was a very sweet daughter. The police in Delhi are not listening to us.
“They say the UK police have not made a request, so how can we do anything?”, he said. “How can we arrest him?”
He said his family have been suffering ever since her death.
Satbir also said his daughter complained of how Lamba was hurting her.
He added: “She told me about it earlier, but it was on the morning of August 29 when she called me crying and said he beat me really badly.
“She said I have called a friend and she is coming to help me. I told that friend can you take Harshita to your home and I will speak to her a little later.
“My daughter was crying, crying so hard.”
Lamba is said to have been arrested for domestic abuse and was later released just weeks before he allegedly killed her.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating Northamptonshire Police’s prior contact with Harshita.
She made a report of domestic abuse to police in August and Lamba was arrested on September 3.
He was subsequently released on conditional bail and a domestic violence protection order was put in place, the watchdog previously said.
In a statement, IOPC regional director, Derrick Campbell said: “After assessment of a referral from Northamptonshire Police we have decided to investigate police contact with Harshita Brella, and her husband Pankaj Lamba, prior to her body being found on November 14.
“We will be examining the police response to Ms Brella’s report of domestic abuse made at the end of August this year. We understand Mr Lamba was arrested by Northamptonshire Police on September 3 and was released with bail conditions and a domestic violence protection notice imposed on him. We will look into further contact Northamptonshire Police had with Ms Brella concerning the case.
“Our investigation will consider the actions and decisions taken by Northamptonshire Police in relation to the report made by Ms Brella and their subsequent investigation.
“Our thoughts are with Ms Brella’s family and all those affected by her death. We will be contacting Ms Brella’s family to explain our role and express our sincere condolences.”