"Police did not do enough to help her or protect her."
The parents of a man suspected of killing his wife Harshita Brella and dumping her body in a car boot in London have reportedly been arrested in India.
Indian police said Darshan Singh and Sunil Devi face charges for causing the death of Ms Brella by subjecting her to cruelty. The charges fall under India’s “dowry death” law.
The investigation in India is separate from one led by Northamptonshire Police in the UK.
Officers there believe the accused parents’ son, Pankaj Lamba, murdered Ms Brella in Corby before fleeing the country in November 2024.
Mr Lamba remains missing.
He was known to police before Ms Brella’s death and was the subject of a domestic violence protection order. Ms Brella had previously attempted to flee from her husband, first reporting domestic violence to police in August 2023.
Harshita Brella was identified as high-risk and placed in a refuge, but her sister, Sonia Dabas, said:
“Police did not do enough to help her or protect her.”
Ms Brella’s parents filed a complaint in India, leading to the arrests of Mr Singh and Ms Devi.
Her father, Satbir Singh, said: “After months of waiting, I feel some progress is being made in the case.”
Under Indian law, a dowry death occurs when a woman dies from burns or bodily injury within seven years of marriage.
It must also be proven that she was subjected to cruelty or harassment related to dowry demands before her death.
The law states that if a woman dies “otherwise than under normal circumstances” and there is evidence of dowry-related cruelty, the husband or relative “shall be deemed to have caused her death”.
A person convicted of dowry death faces at least seven years in prison but could receive a life sentence.
Northamptonshire Police named Mr Lamba as the prime suspect after Ms Brella’s body was found in Ilford, London, in November.
Investigators suspect she was murdered in Corby on November 10, with her body transported to east London by car.
Police submitted their findings to the Crown Prosecution Service and are awaiting a decision on charges.
Harshita Brella’s family said she and Mr Lamba had an arranged marriage, legally formalised in August 2023.
They held a traditional Indian ceremony on March 22, 2024, before moving to the UK around April 30 and settling in Corby.
Her sister said Ms Brella met Mr Lamba for the first time just three days before leaving India, describing her as “very innocent, so kindhearted but just a kid”.
Videos from Ms Brella’s wedding in India showed her panting for breath and placing a hand on her chest, with the caption: “That nervousness after becoming a bride.”
She had spent £300 on make-up and an elaborate wedding lehenga.
An image released after her death showed Harshita Brella walking with her husband at Corby Boating Lake around 6:30 pm on November 10.
Ms Dabas said in the immediate aftermath: “Our world has been turned upside down. We’re calling on the UK and Indian governments to capture him.”
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