Inquest opened into the death of Harshita Brella

An inquest has been opened into the death of a woman whose body was found in the boot of a car.

Police believe Harshita Brella, 24, of Corby, Northamptonshire, was murdered by her husband Pankaj Lamba before he drove to Ilford, east London, and left her body in the vehicle.

At the inquest in Northampton, senior coroner Anne Pember said the provisional cause of death was “manual strangulation pending toxicology and histology”.

The inquest has been adjourned and is set to resume on 21 May 2025.

Ms Pember added that Ms Brella’s body “had not yet been released”.

Prime suspect Mr Lamba, 23, is thought to have fled the country and his current whereabouts are unknown.

Northamptonshire Police have released an image of Mr Lamba in east London, which officers believe was taken after he abandoned his wife’s body in the car.

Officers visited Ms Brella’s home on Skegness Walk, Corby, on 13 November over concern for her welfare.

When she could not be located, a missing person investigation was launched, leading to the discovery of her body in the boot of a car on Brisbane Road, Ilford, on 14 November.

Lee Barron, the MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire, spoke about Ms Brella’s “tragic” death at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday and asked the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Raynor, whether the government would consider increasing the duration of domestic abuse protection orders to longer than 28 days for the “most vulnerable”.

Ms Brella was the subject of a domestic violence protection order before her death, which was made in early September and lasted 28 days.

Raynor replied: “Harshita should have been protected. The government is committed to halving violence against women.”