Four police officers are facing misconduct proceedings over their handling of abuse allegations reported by Harshita Brella, who was later found dead in a car boot.

The 24-year-old from Corby was found in a car in Ilford, east London, 100 miles (160km) from her home in November 2024.

Northamptonshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Emma James said, after an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), misconduct proceedings were now under way in relation to four of the force’s officers.

A manhunt to locate Ms Brella’s husband Pankaj Lamba, who is believed to have left the UK for India, is ongoing after a murder charge was authorised against the 23-year-old.

The IOPC said Ms Brella had contacted Northamptonshire Police on 29 August, alleging abuse by her then husband Pankaj Lamba.

He was arrested on 3 September and released on police bail with conditions not to contact his wife, and issued with a domestic violence protection order.

Ms Brella’s body was discovered in the boot of a Vauxhall Corsa on 14 November and it is believed she died by strangulation in Corby on the evening of 10 November.

The Northamptonshire force referred itself to the IOPC on 20 November – a mandatory step because of officers’ previous contact with Ms Brella.