A fugitive accused of murdering his wife and hiding her body in a car trunk reportedly reconnected with a former girlfriend shortly after the crime, the Mail has disclosed.
Twenty-four-year-old Pankaj Lamba allegedly reached out to Madhu Pandey from India, instructing her to “prepare to live with him” just hours after his wife, Harshita Brella, also 24, was killed.
Lamba, who worked as a security guard, fled to his neighborhood near Delhi three days before Brella’s body was discovered in a Vauxhall Corsa in east London in November of last year.
Investigators suspect that Brella was strangled at her residence in Corby, Northamptonshire, on November 10, with her body subsequently being left in the car in Ilford the next morning.
The following day, Lamba took an Air India flight to Mumbai, then continued to Delhi, ultimately reaching his hometown in Gurgaon. It is believed that he reunited there with his girlfriend, Ms. Pandey, along with her 11-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.
Lamba is thought to have been involved with Ms. Pandey, whom he met at a spa where she worked as a masseuse, for several years prior to marrying Ms. Brella in 2023.
The suspected killer allegedly even supported his lover during his doomed marriage using his wife’s earnings.
Ms Brella’s sister Sonia Dabbas, who is campaigning for justice for her family, told the Mail her sister was ‘well-settled, educated, beautiful.
‘Pankaj depended on her – even his girlfriend depended on her. My sister didn’t know anything about his double life.’
Harshita Brella, 24, (left) who was found dead and her husband Pankaj Lamba, also 24
Harshita Brella whose body was discovered in the boot of a car in Ilford, east London
Pankaj Lamba is believed he fled to India where he is thought to remain, being helped to evade justice by family members
Investigators suspect the alleged killer forcibly withdrew Ms Brella’s savings and transferred the money to his girlfriend to fund her life in India.
Just two months before her tragic death, Ms Brella had filed a case of domestic abuse against her husband.
In a handwritten note she accused him of sexual and physical abuse as well as financial abuse, saying he had taken over her accounts and controlled all her money.
In March, police in Northamptonshire charged Lamba with murder, rape, sexual assault and controlling or coercive behaviour.
Despite being the subject of an international manhunt, he spent several months hiding in ‘plain sight’ in his old neighbourhood of Gurgaon on the outskirts of the capital city.
Locals say he rented a cramped one-bedroom unit with a shared toilet in a busy building, moving in with his girlfriend and her daughter.
Sources believe it was a deliberate attempt to hide behind a façade of a ‘happy young family’ to blend into the community.
He also rented a small nearby shop, running it as a snack stall and evening vegetable seller while hiding behind a medical mask.
A nearby shopkeeper, who requested anonymity, recalled: ‘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.’
Pankaj Lamba, 24, was said to have contacted Madhu Pandey (pictured) from his hometown in India telling her to ‘be ready to live with him’ hours after his wife Harshita Brella, 24, was murdered.
Despite being the subject of an international manhunt, he spent several months hiding in ‘plain sight’ in his old neighbourhood of Gurgaon before abandoning his scooter and going to ground
Locals say he rented a cramped one-bedroom unit with a shared toilet in a busy building, moving in with his girlfriend and her daughter
Silver Vauxhall Corsa Pankaj Lamba drove from Corby to Ilford sometime on the morning of Monday, November 11, 2024.
CCTV shows Pankaj Lamba who is wanted for questioning by police after his wife’s body was found in the boot of a vehicle in Ilford, east London
Pankaj Lamba and tragic wife Harshita pictured at their wedding
Others said Lamba appeared relaxed with neighbours recalling seeing him and his girlfriend openly celebrating Holi, one of India’s biggest festivals – laughing, dancing, and throwing colours in March.
‘He was enjoying Holi with complete abandon and without any fear,’ one resident said.
‘His face was completely covered in colour. He didn’t look like a man running from anything.’
Only later – when police teams appeared in the area asking questions – did residents realise who they had been celebrating alongside.
‘When we heard why officers were looking for him, people were stunned,’ another neighbour said.
‘We remembered how he danced and threw colours that day – carefree, laughing, like life was perfect.
‘Now it feels eerie. None of us imagined we were celebrating next to a man wanted for murder.’
On March 4, he was caught on CCTV withdrawing ₹4.3 lakh (around £3,632) from a Gurgaon bank, his face hidden behind his mask.
Earlier that day, he withdrew ₹2.1 lakh (about £1,774) from another branch, records show, though there is no CCTV to confirm he took it out in person.
In another twist, police recovered a mobile phone believed to belong to Lamba from a rickshaw driver on March 22.
The driver said he found it abandoned in his vehicle and began using it after his own phone stopped.
Mrs Brella’s family believe he could be being aided by a relative who is a Delhi Police official.
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.’
However, Delhi Police which has issued a ₹50,000 reward (roughly £422) for information leading to his arrest, insisted it was on the case.
A senior officer said: ‘He cannot hide forever. We will get to him soon.’
Lamba’s parents Sudesh and Darshan claim they have not had any contact with him since 10 November 2024 – the same day Mrs Brella’s family last had contact with her.
The newlyweds, both Indian nationals, had moved from Delhi to the UK, settling in Corby together in early 2024.
Lamba left for the UK in September 2023, wanting to take a one-year diploma in management with his new wife Ms Brella joining him in February 2024 on a dependant visa.
She was said to have been ‘excited’ to move to England and soon got a job at Wincanton Web where she was promoted three times in six months and started earning more than her security guard husband.
However, by September, Ms Brella had filed a case of domestic abuse against her husband.
He was arrested and later released on bail on condition that he did not harass, pester or intimidate her but the Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) expired four weeks later, on 1 October.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found officers involved in the domestic abuse investigation have a case to answer for gross misconduct.
Four Northamptonshire police officers will face misconduct proceedings over their handling of the allegations made by Ms Brella before her death.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Johnny Campbell, said: ‘This is an exceptionally complex case and with criminal proceedings now active in the UK, we are unable to go into detail about the investigation at this time. However, we can confirm that the Indian authorities have been made aware through the appropriate channels of the charging decision.’
‘The investigation is very much ongoing and we remain as determined as ever to bring the person responsible for Harshita’s death to justice.
‘Our thoughts very much remain with her family and all who loved her, and we will continue to offer support as the investigation and our work to secure justice for Harshita and her family continues.’
