Mother of murder suspect ‘cannot believe’ he killed wife

The mother of the man police suspect murdered Harshita Brella has said she “cannot believe” he would have killed his wife.

Sunil Devi told the BBC she spoke to the couple on 10 November – the day police believe Harshita was fatally strangled in Corby, Northamptonshire – and they seemed “happy”.

Harshita’s body was discovered in a car boot in east London four days later. Ms Devi’s son, Pankaj Lamba, is the prime suspect in the murder investigation.

He had already been known to police, having been arrested on 3 September and was the subject of a domestic violence protection order.

The order, which had barred him from harassing or intimidating Harshita, ended in September and police believe he tracked her down and strangled her.

“I don’t know anything but I cannot believe this,” Ms Devi told the BBC from her home in in Jhajjar, India.

She hid her face during the interview because of the shame this case has brought to her family.

She said her son and daughter-in-law had sent her photos of food they had cooked on the 10 November and she had thought they were “happy in their lives”.

But earlier this week Harshita’s family told the BBC she feared for her life and believed Mr Lamba “was going to kill her”.

Her family also said Harshita had had a miscarriage in the weeks before her death.

They believe Mr Lamba is in India, but said police there were “not listening” to them. Local police have told the BBC that UK authorities have not requested for them to intervene.

Ms Devi said she does not know where her son is, of if he is even alive.

“Some people even say he’s been killed. We don’t know what people are saying. I can’t understand anything. We’ve left it to God,” she said.

Asked about reports that her son had been hitting his wife, she said: “Only the police know what happened, what do we know? We are continents away.”

“As a mother with just one son, what can I do?” she added, “we are completely finished. We are now left with no support.”

She also said she didn’t know there had been allegations of violence and abuse, as reported by Harshita and her family.

Northamptonshire Police have not confirmed if they are in contact with authorities in India, where Mr Lamba is believed to be.

Indian police have said they have not been able to launch an investigation as the crime took place in the UK.

Mr Lamba had been living on a student visa in the UK. He and Harshita had an arranged marriage and were wed in March in India before moving to the UK in April.