UK police investigating the murder of 24-year-old Harshita Brella, whose body was recovered from the boot of a car in east London, have launched a manhunt for her Indian-origin husband, who they suspect has run away out of the country after killing his wife earlier this month. .

In an updated statement on Sunday from Northamptonshire Police, Chief Inspector Paul Cash said more than 60 detectives were working on the case, while the force released an image of Pankaj Lamba, the accused husband, in an appeal for information.

“Our inquiries lead us to suspect that Harshita was murdered in Northamptonshire earlier this month by her husband Pankaj Lamba,” Cash said.

“We suspect that Lamba transported Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford by car. We believe he has now fled the country… Over 60 detectives are working on the case and continue to follow numerous lines of inquiry including house to house, property searches, CCTV (cameras) and ANPR (automatic number plate recognition of course , we continue to appeal for any information that will help us piece together exactly what happened as we work to get justice for Harshita).

Police in Northamptonshire previously named the woman found dead in the boot of a car in London as Harshita Brella as they launched a murder investigation over the weekend.

The force said it received a call on Wednesday about concerns for Brella’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 was carried out at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday.

“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 it. her death, including the exact location and time frame in which it occurred,” he said.

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

Police said officers are satisfied there is no greater risk to the public as a result of this incident.

However, extra 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 raising concerns for the welfare of a woman believed to be in a car in the area of east London,” said a Metropolitan Police officer. the spokesman said.

“The car was located 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 Brella going missing from her home in Corby, about 145 kilometers north of London, and being found dead in a car in the British capital days later.