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Ria Chatterjee

@riachatter

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Correspondent, Channel 4 News.
MSt Cambridge University ‘27
Not on here much. Contact ⬇️
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| The Murder of Harshita Brella |

Channel 4 News can reveal new evidence in the Harshita Brella murder:

A phone call to a friend made by the main suspect Pankaj Lamba after he arrived in India, revealing the exact location of a car in London — believed by Brella family’s lawyers to be vehicle where Harshita’s body was found.

At her chambers in South Delhi, Riddhima Aggarwal, the family’s lawyer, told us they’ve “been informed that Pankaj, after fleeing from the UK, came to India, and that is when he made a phone call to his friend, telling him the exact location where his car was parked”.

Aggarwal adds that Pankaj “informed his friend and that is when I think his friend called the police”.

In light of our reporting, Northamptonshire Police also confirmed that it has sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision.

It’s been four months since Harshita’s body was found in the boot of a car in Ilford. Barely any time to process the loss, but enough surely - the family says - to find the person who murdered Harshita.

Sonia Dabas, Harshita’s sister, told us: “Why they are not taking it seriously? Because Harshita is Indian? Is that why?”

“No one will fight - but now I’ll prove what a real sister is.”

We also speak to the main suspect’s family, a couple of hours drive from Delhi, who tell us Northamptonshire Police haven’t once contacted them. They tell us they’ve had no contact with Pankaj Lamba. Yesterday, Delhi Police confirm, the parents of Lamba were arrested relating to a dowry case that was filed by Harshita’s family.

And the Delhi Police reveal to us they’ve sent seven emails to Northamptonshire Police requesting information, but have received no response. They have now compiled a list of questions to be sent through India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

There are no photographs on the walls in Harshita’s family home, but her presence is felt deeply.

Her sister tells us:

“When I touch anything in this house I feel once my sister touched this. This thing — maybe there’s fingerprints on it.”

Reporting with @nomanssiddiqui @kaybibi01 @_nandini_gumaste_

Film editing by @donnamariewalton

Broadcast: Monday 17th March by @riachatter

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2 years ago

EXCL: On last night’s Channel 4 News, we took our viewers inside Prevent, the UK’s counter-terrorism programme.

The access is unprecedented. Since the programme was founded some twenty years ago, no-one other than directly-relevant agencies has ever gained access to a Prevent ‘Channel Panel’ – the multi-agency group that assesses whether an individual is susceptible to extremism and requires early intervention.

The programme is as controversial as it is secretive, and makes headlines every time there’s a terror attack on UK soil. But, what happens when someone is referred to Prevent?

Every person in the room has experience of assessing real-life cases. Many lead their local authority’s Prevent strategy, some spent decades in counter terrorism policing, others are mental health and child safeguarding specialists.

Crucially, the panel members are crystal clear on their task: how will they protect the individuals who’ve come to their attention?

Yesterday, the government released data showing that Prevent had received its highest number of referrals since records began. The majority of those referred had no clear ideology.

You can watch our film on Channel 4 News’ YouTube channel. The article is on the Channel 4 News website.

Prod: @jamierobertonjourno
Crews: @dcdirects Martin McQuade
🎞️✂️: Helen Williams, Lorenzo Dodi, @saiif_a by @riachatter

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a year ago

Over the last decade, Channel 4 News reporter @riachatter has built a trusted reputation for telling stories from the frontline of social issues in London. The sensitivity and depth of her work earned her a place on the Orwell Prize for Exposing Britain’s Social Evils shortlist in 2022. Her piece on the publication of Cut Short for ITV London News in 2021, which you can watch in my reels, was featured as part of her nomination.

For this month’s All City interview, I caught up with Ria about changing the narrative around serious youth violence on our television screens, the importance of championing hopeful solutions, and learning to protect your mental health as a storyteller.

You can read our conversation and subscribe to my @substackinc newsletter All City for free, or pay £4-per-month to support my independent writing, via the link in my bio.

Portraits by @tristan.bejawn taken in London, United Kingdom by @riachatter

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3 years ago

British national, Jagtar Singh Johal, was bailed by the Delhi High Court yesterday. A significant development in this case. Mr Singh Johal has been imprisoned in India for nine years. A group of United Nations legal experts has called on the Government of India to drop all charges against Jagtar, describing his detention as a “profound miscarriage of justice.”

Yesterday, sharing his thoughts and feelings on news of his brother’s bail, Gurpreet Singh Johal told us that the community, and family, surrounding him has been the driving force behind this development:

“He’s my brother. I’ve got to keep fighting. I don’t have a choice, and this is what I want to do. If I hadn’t got to this stage, the [British] government would just leave him lying, rotting in jail and I can’t do that. He’s my blood.”

A Foreign Office spokesperson told us the UK government is in touch with Mr Singh Johal’s family and continues to raise concerns with the government of India, and that faster progress is needed to reach a resolution, including a full investigation into Mr Johal’s allegations of torture.

Dan Dolan @reprievehq warns that Jagtar is by no means a free man; he calls on the British government to take action now.

The background on this case is on the C4N website, or search Jagtar Singh Johal + Channel 4 News.

@freejagginow by @riachatter

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9 days ago

While the UK's prison system is creaking at the seams, the bail system is also coming under increasing strain. There's now more people out on bail and they are being released for longer as they await trial.

Figures obtained by Channel 4 News reveal the number of offenders committing violent crimes whilst out on bail has risen. We spoke to Rhys Sutton whose dad Alan was murdered by a man out on bail after a violent crime.

#Prison #Bail #UK #Channel4News by @riachatter

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11 days ago

A library-bar-bookshop, the chatter of literature lovers and a loveseat with two wired mics… warmest thanks to @hammockmag for having me for my first ever reading on August 25th. It. was. so. cool.

Congratulations to @absentabhay for editing Hammock’s first print anthology filled with short stories and essays about India’s cities, oooof, such beloved and confounding cities! The stories capture all that the Motherland carries on her back. Applause for each and every writer. You can buy ‘The City’ on Hammock’s website or on the Kindle.

My Mama came to the event and wore a sari to honour the occasion. ♥️

——

I read a short story of mine called ‘Barefaced Love’ (not in the anthology, in case you’re wondering!) It felt a lot like delivering a monologue. I haven’t acted for a long time, in fact I didn’t imagine I’d experience it in that way, but it felt familiar and exhilarating.

I was glad to introduce the crowd to Panchali Das, a character I first wrote to life exactly ten years ago. My 2026 rewrites were partly inspired by a painting, hanging on our wall, of a woman swishing along Boi Para/College Street in Kolkata (the last slide). The focal point in the painting, for me, is the woman’s strong back. And where is she going? Must be Kona Dukan in BBD Bagh for chaa and adda. Then I started thinking about the double-edged-ness of nostalgia, and the vulnerability this creates.

… cue the transicord opening to Dum Maro Dum… 🇮🇳 taken in Reference Point by @riachatter

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14 days ago

We’re thrilled for Master’s in Creative Writing student, Ria Chatterjee @riachatter, whose short story, ‘The Befores and Afters’ is longlisted for the prestigious 4thWrite Short Story Prize from @4thestatebooks!

Ria began her longlisted short story on the Master’s. On writing ‘The Befores and Afters,’ she says: ‘I started writing The Befores and Afters on the ‘Writing Fiction: Imagined Worlds’ module. I was reading Carmen Maria Machado at the time. She describes horror as a transgressive space where writers can confront their deepest fears. I also wanted to explore how the short story, and its ability to “thunk you up against mortality” (Ali Smith), reflects the rapid process of Othering in society.’

The 2026 prize judges include Kamila Shamsie @kshamsie, Chanté Joseph @chantayyjayy, Sanam Mahloudji @sanammahloudji, Emma Paterson emma_a_paterson, Kishani Widyaratna @kishani, and Ella Creamer. The winner will receive £1,000, a one-day publishing workshop at 4th Estate and publication of their story on the Guardian website.

We’re excited to celebrate Ria’s work and the prize’s fantastic longlist, and can’t wait until the winner is announced later this year. Congratulations, Ria!

@cambridge_pace by @riachatter

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a month ago

To say I was stunned when I first received this news… I was on holiday in NYC and the email came through at about 9 pm. Early the next morning, we walked Downtown towards a bakery called Hani’s (which does a banging PANEER TIKKA CROISSANT) and chatted about what it means to me to get longlisted for the 4thWrite Prize, for any writing prize — it’s never happened before!

Part of the thrill is the reminder that I’m writing. It’s as simple as that. Writing is such an anchor for me. It dials down the chaos and overwhelm of daily life. When I’m at my writing desk, I feel no expectation; I write for writing’s sake. An acceptance anywhere is a rare bonus. I keep a folder on my phone called the ‘Joy of Rejections.’ I’ve been submitting poetry and fiction, here and there, since around March, and I’ve a folder full of rejections. A rejection reminds me that I’m writing, and so I equate rejection with aliveness and action. There’s joy to be found in that.

My mother, sister and I are only six months out from my father’s death. Much of what I do is still filtered through his loss, but I suppose the loss is no longer a visible second skin. Grief makes us masters of camouflage. In Bengali we say “jala korche”, meaning “it’s stinging.” It’s a very specific pain, and I feel it in my heart muscle a lot these days when I am missing my father. The English words I might use to describe this pain feel indelicate, but “jala korche” is somehow gentler and more precise. I started writing THE BEFORES AND AFTERS in October 2025, BD (Before Dad), and I finished it AD. I even wrote a few lines in Kolkata, one evening just days after his death, drained to the core and looking for respite from my own mind. I couldn’t hack it though. That memory now feels blurry, like it exists underwater.

I don’t share this to be sentimental, rather to recognise that we carry everything all at once. I’ve been giddy with excitement; we’ve celebrated, I’ve cherished the moment; and also felt the grief and that jala-jala feeling inside. I keep hearing Dad’s voice, “So tell me, Ria Chat, this prize: what is it all about?” by @riachatter

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a month ago

Armed police detained, tasered and beat 17-year-old Abdul-Lateef Ajibike after mistaking him for an armed suspect.

The Metropolitan Police later admitted they had the wrong person. So how did it happen?

Channel 4 News has analysed CCTV footage, police call logs and eyewitness accounts to reconstruct the stop, step by step.

Watch the full film on our YouTube channel via the link in bio.

#Police #Investigation #News #FourReal #Channel4News by @riachatter

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3 months ago

CONTENT WARNING: Violent police detainment.

Abdul-Lateef Ajibike was just 17-years-old when he was tasered twice by Metropolitan Police firearms officers in a chip shop in East London. He was left bleeding, bruised and unable to leave the house or go to school.

Using CCTV footage, phone footage filmed by an eyewitness and police call logs, we have analysed Mr Ajibike’s wrongful detainment. The evidence suggests that officers violently apprehended Abdul-Lateef despite having information indicating the suspect had already left the area.

The case also reflects wider concerns about Black children being disproportionately targeted in use-of-force incidents. A report released in April by the Children’s Commissioner found that Black children are almost 5 times as likely to have force used than their White counterparts.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation found that the officers failed to obtain a sufficient description of the suspect before stopping Mr Ajibike. The Metropolitan Police told us “officers don’t have the benefit of hindsight, and the public would expect them to treat every situation as if they were dealing with a genuine armed threat. A complaint investigation following this incident did not find that the use of force was excessive or that there was racial discrimination.”

Abdul-Lateef says, with the support of his lawyers @bhattmurphy and his family, that he needs to “speak out sooner rather than later. I’ve learned that keeping stuff within me can only hurt me more.”

Full film is on the Channel 4 News website and YouTube channel.

Producer: @kaybibi01
Crews: Vic Marwaha and @dcdirects
GFX design: Mike Smith
Editors: Matthew Bell, Helen Williams and Louise Freeman. by @riachatter

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3 months ago

In the immediate aftermath, so much felt like it was slippling away. Not least, riptides of words. I couldn’t seem to write, so I downed these books, one after the other, hoping to replenish what had been washed out of my brain.

I also latched onto certain sights and sounds. When it felt impossible to explain how I was feeling with words, the blipping of a bubbling pot of rice, or maze of branches across a wall seemed to tell me something about myself. So, I documented those things and that felt helpful too.

Some stuff still confounds me. One of my strangest grief foibles is the inability to listen to my favourite music artists. (Cannot for the life of me press play on a Beyonce or Little Simz track, but can listen to all sorts of other random stuff!) I’m currently avoiding anything to do with big sports matches (more understandable) because they no longer come with a text from Dad, saying something like: “VAMOS CHELSEA!”

But, really, these memoirs, poetry collections and plays kinda saved me, and I’d read them all again:

Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Small Pieces by Joanne Limburg

Obit by Victoria Chang

My Dearest Friend by Lady Red Ego

A Flat Place by Noreen Masud

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Coleman ‘72 by Charlie Oh & Public Obscenities by Shayok Misha Chowdhury (in the collection of plays What This Place Makes Me)

📚🛟 by @riachatter

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4 months ago

Against the odds, the Brella family made it to Britain; the fight for justice brought to the gatekeepers’ front doors.

Channel 4 News catches Sonia Dabas, Harshita’s sister, as she heads into a police misconduct hearing relating to two senior officers and their supervision of Harshita’s initial domestic abuse report. What do you want to say to the police today, I ask? Sonia replies, “No partiality. I just want everything to be fair.”

But within a couple of hours, a development. Following submissions from Northamptonshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, the family are excluded from the misconduct hearing. The family’s lawyer tells us it’s because information will be disclosed in the hearing which could prejudice the criminal proceedings against Pankaj Lamba — the suspect in this murder case — if he’s extradited to the UK.
He says “it’s an abuse of process.”

The family returned to India last week having spent long days in London and Corby, meeting MPs, holding vigils and meeting police officers. Seeking justice is exhausting. For now, that process begins with Northamptonshire Police. Sonia tells us:

“They forget to contact us. They call, I think, in January. So after that they don’t call. So we said to the IOPC to tell the UK Police to contact us. They are not interested to call us and give any update. But when they know we are coming here, every week, and sometime in a week two times, they call us. So what is this? They are not serious about Harshita’s case.”

Northamptonshire Police say, “Officers from the investigation team have been in regular email and phone contact with members of the family throughout the past 18 months, and representatives also traveled to India last year to meet them. We remain as determined as ever to secure justice for Harshita and her family. With the ongoing criminal and misconduct proceedings, the need to uphold the principles of natural justice is paramount.”

Broadcast on the 21st of May, 2026.
Producer: @kaybibi01
Crew & editor: @cameramanjase by @riachatter

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4 months ago