24-year-old woman murdered in London: 3 months on, accused still at large; family in Delhi claims probe stuck

Her family has filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court, which sought a status report in the case. The report is still awaited.

Harshita’s sister, Sonia Dabas, has sought an inquiry from an independent agency. “Either the Central Bureau of Investigation or any other investigative agency should take up this case,” she said.

“The only ray of hope is that the matter is being heard in the HC; we are optimistic that justice will be served,” she added.

The Delhi Police, however, said it is awaiting sanction from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and Letters Rogatory and Mutual Legal Assistance is pending with the Director, Prosecution, at Tis Hazari Court.

Sanctions under Section 208 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita and Letters Rogatory and Mutual Legal Assistance are applicable when the offence for which an FIR has been registered has been committed outside India by its citizen.

The case will next be heard on March 24.

Following Harshita’s death, a post-mortem examination at the Leicester Royal Infirmary on November 15 listed strangulation as the preliminary cause of death. The Northamptonshire Police, which is investigating the case, named her husband, Lamba, the prime suspect.

They claim he has fled the country.

Her family filed a complaint at the Palam Village police station accusing her husband, in-laws and other relatives of cruelty and demanding dowry.

In January, Sonia, through the family’s counsel Riddhima and Rushab Aggarwal, filed a writ petition in the HC. The matter was heard on January 31, and the HC directed the MHA and Delhi Police to file a status report with regard to the case registered at Palam village.

The court, in its order, said expeditious steps should be taken by the law-enforcement agencies concerned to ascertain whether Harshita’s husband, Pankaj Lamba, is in India, as alleged by the Brella family.

“The information regarding Lamba having travelled from London to Mumbai and Delhi be also verified and appropriate steps be taken to trace the said individual,” it said in its January 31 order.

Advocate Radhika Bishwajit Dubey, standing counsel for the MHA and the Delhi Police, said, “The matter is sub-judice.”