Murder charge authorised over Harshita Brella death

A murder charge has been authorised against the husband of a woman whose body was found in the boot of a car in London.

Pankaj Lamba – whose whereabouts are unknown – would be charged over the death of Harshita Brella, 24, who lived in Corby, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The CPS said Mr Lamba, 23, who is thought to have fled the country, was further charged with two counts of rape, sexual assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.

The charges were laid at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Samantha Shallow, from the CPS, said the charges followed a review of a file of evidence submitted by Northamptonshire Police.

She said: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings are active and defendants have the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

Northamptonshire Police’s senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Johnny Campbell said: “We are committed to securing justice for Harshita and her family and continue to offer our support at this difficult time.

“This remains an active investigation and as such, there continue to be aspects of the case that we are unable to comment on at this time. We would urge all parties to respect the judicial process to ensure the integrity of the proceedings.”