The family of Harshita Brella said they will “never forget” her “till our last breath” in an emotional tribute to the 24-year-old who is believed to have been murdered by her husband.
Northamptonshire Police detectives believe Harshita was murdered in her hometown of Corby on the evening of November 10 before her body was driven over 90 miles to Ilford in east London in the car boot the next day.
In a statement issued on Friday lunchtime, her family said: “Harshita, you left this world but you are still with us in our hearts and will always be there.
“We will never forget you till our last breath. Always stay with us.
“We miss you in every very moment of our life.”
Harshita’s body was discovered in the boot of a silver Vauxhall Corsa parked in Brisbane Road, Ilford, in the early hours of November 14.
A post-mortem gave Harshita’s preliminary cause of death as strangulation, police have said.
Speaking from the family home in Delhi, her mother Sudesh Kumari previously told the BBC: “I just want justice for my daughter.”
Harshita’s sister, Sonia Dabas, said she had been “very excited” to move to the UK in April after an arranged marriage to Lamba.
A legal wedding was held in August 2023, and the couple held their traditional Indian ceremony on March before leaving for the UK the following month.
Her father, Satbir Brella, said his daughter had aspired to be a teacher and would spend her days tutoring children in their home in Delhi.
“I want my son-in-law to be brought to justice and I want my daughter's body brought home,” he told the BBC.
The family last spoke with Ms Brella on the phone on November 10, the BBC reported.
Ms Dabas said they “thought something was wrong” after her sister’s phone was off for two days and asked people they knew to file a complaint on November 13.
The force was contacted on Wednesday by a member of the public concerned for her welfare.
Officers went to her home in Skegness Walk, in the Northamptonshire town of Corby around 90 miles north of London, but got no answer.
A missing person investigation was then launched, but her body was found in the boot of a car early on November 14.
A neighbour has since said she heard two blistering rows, involving one where a woman “sounded scared”, coming from Harshita’s home in the days before her body was found.
A police spokesman confirmed Harshita had previously been the victim of domestic violence and was made subject of a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) at Northampton Magistrates’ Court in September.
Northamptonshire Police has made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of its previous contact with her.
On Thursday, Northamptonshire Police issued a fresh CCTV image that showed Harshita with her husband walking by Corby Boating Lake around 6.30pm on November 10 - the evening she is believed to have been killed.
Detectives have said they want to hear from people who were in the area around the boating lake that evening, or who may have dashcam footage.
“Our inquiries have established that Pankaj and Harshita were in the area of the boating lake on Sunday evening, and as part of our ongoing investigation we have carried out searches in the surrounding area,” said senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Johnny Campbell, from the East Midlands Special Operations major crime unit.
“We know that it’s a busy part of the town and there will have been a lot of passing traffic.
“As such, we’re appealing to anyone who was in Corby between 6pm and 9pm on Sunday, November 10, specifically in the area around the Corby Boating Lake, Cottingham Road and Westcott Way.
“If you have any dashcam footage, or other information that may be relevant to the investigation, however small, please contact us as soon as possible.
“Any information you have may help us piece together exactly what happened to Harshita and help bring her killer to justice.”
Anyone with information about Ms Brella’s death can contact the incident room by calling 101, quoting Operation Westcott, online or by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
