Woman found murdered in the boot of a car in Britain, believed to be of South Asian descent

A 24-year-old woman, believed to be of South Asian descent, has been found murdered in a car boot in east London after a missing person investigation was launched for her in England’s East Midlands region.

Northamptonshire Police named the victim Harshita Brella on Saturday evening as police launched a murder investigation and appealed for information in the case.

Police said they received a call on Wednesday about concerns about Harshita’s welfare and officers were deployed to her home address on Skegness Walk in Corby, Northamptonshire.

After receiving no response, police launched a missing persons investigation and an accelerated investigation was launched, leading to the discovery of the victim’s body in the boot of a vehicle on Brisbane Road in the Ilford area of ​​East London in the early hours of Thursday. .

A post-mortem was carried out at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday which revealed the murder victim was Harshita Brella, whose name indicates South Asian descent, but there has been no further confirmation of her family background at this stage of the investigation.

“Firstly, I would like to express my sincere condolences to everyone who loved Harshita Brella,” said Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell, Senior Investigating Officer for the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU).

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

Investigators believe Harshita was killed in a ‘targeted incident’. They have appealed for anyone who may have information about the incident to come forward.

“While we believe Harshita was attacked by someone she knows, we are keeping an open mind and appealing to anyone who knew her to contact us if they have any relevant information,” Campbell said.

Have you seen anything suspicious in the past week or do you have any information, no matter how small, please contact us. We would always rather receive well-intentioned information that turns out to be nothing than not receive everything,” he says.

Police said officers were confident there is no increased risk to the public as a result of this incident, but for reassurance additional patrols will take place in Corby in the coming days.

As required, Northamptonshire Police have also made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous contact between police and the victim.

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

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

Police investigators are now working to establish the link between Harshita missing from her home in Corby, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of London, and her death found dead in a car in the British capital days later.