Suspected wife killer ‘fled to India and started new life with ex-girlfriend’

An Indian man accused of killing his wife before fleeing the UK allegedly got back together with his ex-girlfriend days after the murder.

The body of Harshita Brella, 24, was found in the boot of a car in Ilford, east London, on November 14, 2024.

Police suspect her husband, Pankaj Lamba, 24, murdered her that day in Corby, Northamptonshire, before he fled to India.

He remains at large to this day.

The Daily Mail reports that Lamba contacted his ex-partner, Madhu Pandey, from his home town in India hours after Ms Brella was killed, telling her to ‘be ready to live with him’.

The security guard fled to his neighbourhood near Delhi three days before Ms Brella’s body was found in a Vauxhall Corsa in Ilford in November last year.

Police believe she was strangled at her home in Corby, Northamptonshire, on November 10 before her body was abandoned in the car in Ilford the following morning.

The next day, Lamba boarded an Air India flight to Mumbai and then flew on to Delhi before making his way to his hometown in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the capital city.

There, the fugitive is thought to have met up with Ms Pandey and her 11-year-old daughter from a past relationship.

He is believed to have been in a relationship with Ms Pandey, whom he met in a spa where she worked as a masseuse after separating from her husband, for several years before he wed Ms Brella in 2023.

The suspected killer is said to have continued supporting his lover during his marriage using Ms Brella’s earnings.

Ms Brella’s sister, Sonia Dabbas, is campaigning for justice for her family.

She told the Mail that Ms Brella was ‘well-settled, educated, beautiful. Pankaj depended on her – even his girlfriend depended on her’.

She said: ‘My sister didn’t know anything about his double life.’

Investigators believe the alleged wife killer forcibly withdrew Ms Brella’s savings and transferred the money to Ms Pandey to fund her life in India.

Just two months before her death, Ms Brella filed a case of domestic abuse against her husband.

In a handwritten note she accused him of sexual, physical and financial abuse, saying he had taken over her accounts and controlled all her money.

Police in Northamptonshire charged Lamba with murder, rape, sexual assault and controlling or coercive behaviour in March.

But he remains on the run in India, despite being the subject of an international manhunt.

Lamba spent months hiding in ‘plain sight’ in his old neighbourhood of Gurgaon.

Locals told the Mail he rented a small one-bedroom unit with a shared toilet in a busy building, where he moved in with his girlfriend and her daughter, in a deliberate attempt to hide behind the image of a ‘happy young family’.

Sources said he also rented a small shop to run as a snack stall and evening vegetable seller while hiding his true identity behind a medical mask.

A shopkeeper who spoke to the Mail on condition of anonymity said: ‘He was a very aggressive businessman and priced out nearby shops.

‘He kept a speaker outside and constantly announced his cheap-rate list.

‘Customers noticed him. But one thing was strange – he always wore a mask, kept the shop dark and never stepped outside.

‘The woman would arrive later in the day on a scooter with her daughter. He often argued with her and treated her very aggressively.’

However, others said Lamba appeared relaxed.

According to neighbours, he and his girlfriend were seen openly celebrating Holi, one of India’s biggest festivals – laughing, dancing and throwing colours in March.

One resident said: ‘He was enjoying Holi with complete abandon and without any fear.

‘His face was completely covered in colour. He didn’t look like a man running from anything.’

Another neighbour described it as ‘eerie’ when police officers starting asking locals questions, and it was revealed why they were looking for Lamba.

And in March he was caught on CCTV withdrawing more than £5,400 in rupees from different bank branches on the same day.

Mrs Brella’s family believe a relative who is a Delhi Police official could be aiding him.

In March, her family petitioned the Delhi High Court, accusing police of inaction.

Several of his family members were arrested and released on bail.

Around the same time Lamba abandoned his shop and flat and vanished again.

Ms Dabbas said: ‘He has relatives who are policemen. In March this year he was seen on CCTV footage withdrawing money from a bank.

‘Then how come he’s not been found yet? This is all because of corruption.’

Ms Brella’s father, Satbir Singh said: ‘We gave all the details to local police immediately after he landed in India.

‘Had they acted swiftly earlier, he would’ve been caught by now.’

But Delhi Police has issued a ₹50,000 reward (roughly £422) for information leading to his arrest.

A spokesperson said: ‘He cannot hide forever. We will get to him soon.’

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