West Yorkshire police have arrested a 75-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman on suspicion of the murder of a Sikh woman who disappeared in 1985. Harbans Kaur Lally, née Ranu, a.k.a Susuan, disappeared at the age of 19, possibly after a trip to India.
The victim lived in Leeds during the 1980s, and worked at Burton Group in Yorkshire until April 1985. In 1984, she married in Rugby before moving to Leeds and then returning to Rugby before her disappearance. It is believed that she have birth to a daughter after moving to Rugby in 1985.
A 53-year-old man was also arrested in Birmingham on suspicion of perjury. He has been released under investigation while the elderly man and woman have been released on police bail pending further enquiries.
Nicola Bryer, Detective Chief Inspector of West Yorkshire Police's Homicide and Major Enquiry Team said, “We have recently received information that raises concerns about Harbans' apparent disappearance, which we are now treating as a murder investigation. We are currently trying to build up a picture of her life at the time she disappeared and we are very keen to hear from anyone with any information that could assist us. We would like to speak to anyone who knew Harbans, who was also known as Susan, when she lived and worked in Leeds in 1984 to 1986, and also anyone who knew her when she was growing up in Rugby, either through school or in the area she lived. We are particularly interested to speak to anyone who knew her when she returned there in 1985. We would like to reassure people that we will treat all information in the strictest confidence and would urge anyone who does know something that could assist the investigation to contact us.”
If you have any information regarding this case, contact West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team via 101 quoting “Operation Parryton”. Alternatively, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
