Neighbours heard ‘banging’ during ‘heated row’ in days before Harshita Brella’s body was found in car boot
A neighbour of Harshita Brella has revealed she heard two blistering rows in the days before the 24-year-old’s body was discovered in the boot of a car in London.
Kelly Philp, Brella’s neighbour in Corby, said she overheard an argument, including one involving a woman who “sounded scared”, on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old told The Mirror: “They were arguing in a different language so I couldn’t understand what was being said.
“But it sounded angry and there were raised voices and the woman sounded scared. I heard a commotion between a man and a woman and I heard banging around. I didn’t call police. I just thought it was a relationship argument.”
She described feeling “vulnerable” and “on edge” after learning about the fate of her neighbour.
“I feel so sad about the loss of the lass. I can’t get over it,” she said. “I can’t believe it.”
Philip said she had also overheard two men arguing in a foreign language early on Saturday, shortly after she heard a back gate slam shut.
An international manhunt is underway for the husband of Brella, of Corby. Northamptonshire Police have named Pankaj Lamba as the prime suspect in the murder of the 24-year-old.
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Chief Inspector Paul Cash told a press conference in Kettering: “Inquiries lead us to suspect that Harshita was murdered in Northamptonshire earlier this month by her husband Pankaj Lamba. We suspect Lamba transported Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford by car. We believe he has now fled the country.”
A murder inquiry was launched after her body was found inside the boot of the vehicle on Brisbane Road in Ilford, east London, close to an entrance to Valentines Park in the early hours of Thursday.
The force was contacted on Wednesday by a member of the public concerned for her welfare. Officers went to her home in Skegness Walk, Corby, but got no answer.
The Times reported that neighbours described the address as a multiple occupancy property that had previously housed up to 12 people.
A missing person investigation was launched and her body was found in the car. A post-mortem examination established that she had been murdered.
Earlier, a police spokesman confirmed Brella had previously been the victim of domestic violence and in early September was made subject of a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) at Northampton Magistrates’ Court.
Northamptonshire Police have also made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of previous contact between the force and Brella. More than 60 detectives are currently working on the case.
Chief Inspector Cash said police had followed “a number of lines of investigation and carried out numerous inquiries.”
He added: “Officers and detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit and Northamptonshire Police, working with colleagues from the Metropolitan Police, have been working around the clock to establish the circumstances behind Harshita’s death, including the exact location and timeframe in which it took place.”
Investigators are carrying out house-to-house inquiries and property searches, and looking at CCTV and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) images in order to try and find leads. It was reported that the 28-day DVPO banned the perpetrator of the violence from visiting Brella’s workplace, it was reported.
The person was prevented from molesting her, threatening violence, or intimidating, harassing or pestering her, and also told not to encourage or instruct others to contact her in any way. The order was served by Northamptonshire Police and implemented by magistrates.
No formal charges against the same person have since been recorded by the court and they were released following the court hearing but ordered to pay the full costs, according to reports.
Chief Inspector Cash urged anyone who thinks they can help bring Brella’s killer to justice to get in touch.
Anyone who may have information is asked to call police on 101 quoting Operation Westcott or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. They can also submit information online at mipp.police.uk.