New Delhi: It was an emotional journey for Sonia and her family as they travelled from Delhi to the United Kingdom to visit the place where her younger sister, 24-year-old Harshita Brella, was found dead inside the trunk of a car in Nov 2024. What was meant to be a joyful family trip after Harshita’s marriage instead turned into a solemn journey — one in search of answers and justice.The family visited Corby, a town outside London, where Harshita had been living after marriage. They walked through the lane where she was last seen and placed flowers near the spot where her husband, accused Pankaj Lamba, was allegedly captured on CCTV pacing around the vehicle in which Harshita’s body was later found.Speaking to TOI, Sonia said, “Our visit to the UK has only one purpose. Initially, the case received attention from both the international and the Indian media, but today we are living every day knowing that the man accused of murdering my sister is still absconding. It is extremely painful for me and my parents.”The trip carried a cruel irony. Sonia recalled how the family once planned to visit Harshita after she settled into life in the UK following her marriage. “My husband, our children and my parents all dreamed of coming here to meet her, to see where she lived and worked,” she said. “But the circumstances under which we are taking our first trip outside the country are heartbreaking.”The family alleged that both UK Police and Delhi Police have continued to shift responsibility onto each other. “Whenever we seek responses from Delhi Police, they say they are waiting for answers from the UK Police regarding certain aspects crucial to the investigation. In the UK too, there has been very little communication. That is why we came here ourselves,” Sonia alleged.When TOI reached out to Delhi Police, a senior officer said efforts were underway to trace the accused but added that there was no update on his whereabouts at present.According to the family, Harshita earlier reported incidents of domestic violence to the police in the UK. They alleged that timely intervention by authorities could have saved her life. The family is also seeking clarity on the findings of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the UK police watchdog, which reportedly found lapses in the handling of complaints by four police officers linked to the case.While in Corby, the family found support from local community members, who helped organise a memorial gathering in Harshita’s memory. In the coming days, a private ceremony will be held to unveil a memorial bench at a park in the town — a permanent marker in a place that now holds deep personal meaning for the family. They also plan to meet some of Harshita’s former colleagues at the warehouse where she had been employed.This has been the family’s first trip outside India — financially supported through fundraising efforts by a Corby-based charity.Hoping that her story does not fade into silence, the family has demanded the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and intensified efforts to trace Lamba, who remains absconding nearly two years after the murder.
