A 24-year-old woman believed to be of South Asian origin has been found murdered in the boot of a car in east London after a missing person’s inquiry was launched in England’s East Midlands region.

Northamptonshire Police named the victim as Harshita Brella on Saturday night as the force launched a murder investigation and appealed for information in the case.

Police said they received a call on Wednesday about concerns for Harshita’s welfare and officers were sent to her home address in Skegness Walk in Corby, Northamptonshire.

After receiving no response, police launched a missing person’s investigation and rapid inquiries were made which led to the discovery of the victim’s body in the boot of a vehicle on Brisbane Road, in the Ilford area of ​​east London, in the early hours of Thursday. .

A post-mortem examination was carried out at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday, which identified the victim as Harshita Brella, whose name indicates a South Asian heritage, but there is no further confirmation from her family at this stage of the investigation.

“Firstly, I want to express my sincere condolences to everyone who loved Harshita Brella,” said Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell, Senior Investigating Officer at the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU). .

“She was a young woman in her 20s with her whole life ahead of her and it is absolutely tragic that her life was cut short in this way. Detectives from EMSOU and Northamptonshire Police are working around the clock to establish the circumstances behind her death, including the exact location and time frame in which it occurred,” he said.

Investigators believe Harshita was killed in a “targeted incident” while appealing for anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

“While we believe Harshita was attacked by someone she knew, we are keeping an open mind and are appealing to anyone who knew her to contact us with any relevant information they may have,” Campbell said.

If you have seen anything suspicious in the last week or have any information, however small, please contact us. We would always rather receive well-intentioned information that turns out to be nothing than not receive it at all,” he said.

Police said officers were satisfied there was no wider risk to the public as a result of this incident, however, additional patrols will be taking place in Corby over the coming days for reassurance purposes.

As required, Northamptonshire Police also made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous contact between the police force and the victim.

“Shortly after midnight on the morning of Thursday 14 November, the Met was contacted by officers from Northamptonshire Police who raised concerns for the welfare of a woman believed to be in a car in the area of east London,” said a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police. .

“The car was parked on Brisbane Road, Ilford and the body of a 24-year-old woman was found inside the vehicle,” the spokesman said.

Police investigators are now working to establish the link between Harshita going missing from her home in Corby, about 145km north of London, and being found dead in a car in the British capital days later.