Husband Naresh Bhatt faces charges for hiding his wife Mamta’s body; evidence suggests foul play.
Naresh Bhatt, the husband of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a 28-year-old Virginia mother who has been missing for over three weeks, is accused of killing her in their home and then moving her body outside, according to court documents from CNN affiliate WJLA.
Bhatt is facing a felony charge for hiding a body, but has not been officially charged with murder yet. He was arrested on Thursday after police searched the couple’s home and was taken to court on Friday morning for an arraignment.
The preliminary criminal complaint states that Bhatt is suspected of murdering his wife around July 30, 2024. Evidence found at their home suggests her body was initially inside and then dragged outside. Investigators also found significant digital and forensic evidence related to her death.
CNN has asked the prosecutor’s office if Bhatt will face more serious charges. For now, Bhatt remains in custody without bail. He is set to have a bond hearing on Monday.
Bhatt, who was a US Army Reserve logistics specialist from June 2017 to February 2024, had no deployments and left the Army with the rank of specialist.
Investigation Reveals Gruesome Evidence in Virginia Mom’s Disappearance; Husband’s Actions Raise Suspicion
During Friday’s court appearance, Prince William County officials shared new details about what investigators found at the Bhatt home.
Investigators said that Naresh Bhatt gave several conflicting stories about where his wife was and claimed she had destroyed her phone before disappearing. They also noted that on July 30, Bhatt bought a pack of three knives at Walmart, but two of them were missing when they searched his home. The next day, he bought cleaning supplies at another Walmart.
When investigators examined the house, they found blood in several places: in the main bedroom, on the carpet, in the bathroom, and on the shower floor. The bed in the bedroom was moved, blocking a closet, and there were signs that something heavy had been dragged across the floor. Blood was also found in the bathtub’s caulking.
Cleaning supplies that Bhatt had bought were found in the messy home. Additionally, Bhatt sold his Tesla on August 19, and the house looked packed up, with a suitcase ready and missing items from hangers and passports visible.
A former coworker of Mamta Kafle Bhatt expressed shock after hearing the details, saying they were even more horrifying than expected.
Could Naresh Bhatt Be Involved in the Disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt?
Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a 28-year-old registered nurse, was last seen on July 27 at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, where she worked. She talked to a friend on July 28 and was last seen by her husband at the dinner table on July 31.
On August 2, police did a wellness check at her home and spoke with her husband. He gave some information but didn’t want to report her missing yet. He reported her missing on August 5, three days later.
Her coworkers asked for the wellness check after they noticed she was missing. UVA Health expressed deep sadness over her presumed death and said they are helping with the police investigation.
Detectives investigated from August 5-8 and found that Kafle Bhatt had not been in contact with her family, friends, or employer recently, so her status was changed to involuntary/critical missing person.
For weeks, people in the community, her friends, and coworkers searched for her and shared updates online. Investigators executed 10 search warrants and conducted hundreds of interviews.
Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo said that Naresh Bhatt, her husband, is now considered a key person of interest in the case and has not been cooperating with police, which is different from earlier statements saying he was cooperative.
In an interview, Bhatt expressed concern about his wife’s disappearance and said this wasn’t the first time she had gone missing. He said he is suffering and didn’t know what to say.
Their infant was taken from the home and is being cared for by a caregiver approved by the Department of Social Services. Kafle Bhatt’s family from Nepal has obtained a visa and is traveling to the U.S. to try and get emergency custody of the baby.
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