Harshita Brella: What we know about body in boot murder inquiry as police search for Pankaj Lamba
An international manhunt is continuing after a woman's body was found in an abandoned car boot and detectives named her husband as a suspect.
Police believe Pankaj Lamba killed his wife Harshita Brella in Corby in Northamptonshire earlier this month and has now gone on the run.
Ms Brella's body was found in the boot of a car in Ilford, east London, on Thursday.
As police expand the hunt internationally in the search for 23-year-old Lamba, here's what we know so far.
Missing person
The alarm was raised after police received a call on Wednesday raising concerns for Ms Brella's welfare.
When officers went to her home in Skegness Walk in Corby there was no answer, so they launched a missing person's inquiry.
A neighbour said she had heard people arguing on Wednesday evening.
Kelly Philp, who lives near Ms Brella, said she overheard an argument between a man and a woman.
Ms Philp said: "I heard shouting and things falling about, I heard the back gate slamming. Obviously we saw a lot of police about [and] put two and two together."
She added: "I feel so sad about the loss of the lass. I can't get over it, I can't believe it."
Body discovered
Police said "fast-track inquiries" were launched which led to the discovery of Ms Brella's body inside the boot of a vehicle in Brisbane Road in the Ilford area of London, in the early hours of Thursday.
A forensic post-mortem examination, which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday established that Ms Brella had been killed.
A murder inquiry was launched by Northamptonshire Police and 60 detectives are working on the case.
Police are urging anyone with information to get in touch if they saw anything suspicious in the past week in the area.
Chief Insp Paul Cash said: "If you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matterhow small, please contact us. We would always rather receive well-meaning information that turns out to be nothing as opposed to not receiving it all.”
Hunt for husband
On Sunday afternoon police revealed they believed Ms Brella's husband had killed her in Northamptonshire earlier this month and transported her body to Ilford by car.
Officers said an international manhunt had begun for Pankaj Lamba, who they thought had left the country.
They released a picture of him and an image taken by a CCTV camera.
Previous domestic violence concern
A police spokesman confirmed Ms 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 has also referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of previous contact between the force and Ms Brella.
It was reported that the 28-day DVPO banned the perpetrator of the violence from visiting Ms Brella’s workplace.
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 were recorded by the court and they were released following the court hearing but ordered to pay the full costs, according to reports.
Where next for the investigation?
The police focus is now on finding out where Pankaj Lamba has gone and bringing him back to the UK.
Chief Insp Cash said police had already 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.
Extra police patrols are taking place in Corby to provide reassurance but the force said it was satisfied there was no wider risk to the public.
Chief Insp Cash said: "I urge anyone, that if you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us. We would always rather receive well-meaning information that turns out to be nothing as opposed to not receiving it all.”
Tributes to Harshita Brella
Police said they wanted to pass on their condolences to Ms Brella's family and friends and "everyone who knew and loved her".
Chief Insp Cash said: "Harshita was a young woman in her early 20s, with her whole life ahead of her and everything to live for, and it is absolutely tragic that her life has been cut short in this way."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know