The U.K. police investigating the murder of 24-year-old Harshita Brella, whose body was recovered from a car boot in east London, have launched a manhunt for her Indian-origin husband who they suspect fled the country after killing his wife earlier this month.

In an updated statement from the Northamptonshire Police on Sunday (November 17, 2024), Chief Inspector Paul Cash said more than 60 detectives were working on the case as the force released an image of Pankaj Lamba, the accused husband, in an appeal for information.

“Our inquiries lead us to suspect that Harshita was murdered in Northamptonshire earlier this month by her husband Pankaj Lamba,” Mr. Cash said.

“We suspect Lamba transported Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford by car. We believe he has now fled the country… More than 60 detectives are working on the case and are continuing to follow numerous lines of inquiry, including house to house, property searches, CCTV (cameras) and ANPR (automatic number plate recognition). We are, of course, continuing to appeal for any information that will help us piece together exactly what happened as we work to get justice for Harshita,” he added.

Earlier, the Northamptonshire Police had named the woman found dead in the boot of a car in London as Harshita Brella as they launched a murder inquiry over the weekend.

The force said it had received a call on Wednesday regarding concerns for Brella’s welfare and officers were deployed to her home address at Skegness Walk in Corby, Northamptonshire.

After getting no answer, the police launched a missing person investigation and fast-track enquiries were made that led to the discovery of the victim’s body inside the boot of a vehicle on Brisbane Road in the Ilford area of east London in the early hours of Thursday (November 14, 2024). A post-mortem was conducted at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday (November 15, 2024).

“First of all, I want to express my heartfelt condolences to everyone who loved Harshita Brella,” said Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell, senior investigating officer from the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU).

“She was a young woman in her early 20s with her whole life ahead of her and it is absolutely tragic that her life has been cut short in this way. Detectives from EMSOU and the Northamptonshire Police are working around the clock to establish the circumstances behind her death, including the exact location and timeframe in which it took place,” he said.

Investigators believe Brella was killed in a “targeted incident” as they appealed to anyone who may have information about the incident to come forward.

“Although we believe Harshita was attacked by someone known to her, we are keeping an open mind, and would appeal to anyone who knew her to contact us with any relevant information they may have. 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,” he said.

The police said officers were satisfied there was no wider risk to the public as a result of this incident.

However, extra patrols will be taking place in Corby in the coming days for reassurance purposes. As is mandatory, the Northamptonshire Police has also made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous contact between the police force and the victim.

“Shortly after midnight on the morning of Thursday, November 14, the Met was contacted by officers from the Northamptonshire Police, raising concerns for the welfare of a woman who was believed to be in a car in the east London area,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.

“The car was located parked in Brisbane Road, Ilford, and the body of a 24-year-old woman was found inside the vehicle,” the spokesperson said.

The police investigators are now working to establish the connection between Brella going missing from her home in Corby, around 145 kilometres north of London, and being found dead in a car in the U.K. capital days later.

An Indian-origin couple’s heartfelt interaction with former US President Donald Trump is going viral on social media. The Republican presidential candidate on Sunday visited a McDonald’s and served french fries while he was campaigning in Pennsylvania. He wore a black-and-yellow apron over his white shirt and red tie as he served fries and interacted with customers. It was while working at the takeout counter that he was greeted with a cheerful “namaste” by an energised Indian-origin couple. As the former president handed the Indian national his order, the excited customer exclaimed, “Thank you, Mr. President!” 

“You made it possible for ordinary people like us to be here,” the Indian-origin man told Mr Trump. He continued to express gratitude and repeatedly called Mr Trump “Mr President”. At the end, the lady sitting next to the man also quipped, “Thank you for taking the bullet for us”. 

Sharing the video on X, user Hodge Twins wrote, “Listen to this Indian dude that pulls up. All Americans love Trump.” 

Watch the video below: 

Listen to this Indian dude that pulls up

All Americans love Trump pic.twitter.com/x0RHCP6OtI

— Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) October 20, 2024

The video surfaced on social media on Sunday. Since then, the clip has accumulated nearly 8 million views. 

Reacting to the video, one user wrote, “That man and his wife are so genuine; they will remember this forever.” “This is so sweet and so precious, It just makes me tear up,” expressed another. 

“I love this so much. I’m sure it was obvious when they got in the drive through something was going on. But can you even imagine pulling up to see Trump giving you your food. Really brings a smile even to me on the other end of this screen,” commented a third. 

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Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s McDonald’s stunt was intended as a jibe at Kamala Harris, who has often talked about working at the fast-food chain in her youth. Taking a swipe at Ms Harris, who turned 60 on Sunday, he said he is running against somebody who said she worked at Mcdonald’s, but it turned out to be a “phoney story”. “I’ve now worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala” at McDonald’s, he said.

In response, Kamala Harris’s spokesperson, Joseph Costello, remarked that Mr Trump’s trip to the fast-food restaurant highlighted what a second term under him would entail: “taking advantage of workers for his own benefit.”

“When Trump feels desperate, all he knows how to do is lie. He can’t understand what it’s like to have a summer job because he was handed millions on a silver platter, only to blow it,” said Ian Sam, spokesperson for Ms Harris’ campaign.