New Delhi: Indian-American Naresh Bhatt was found guilty in the murder of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt.
The verdict was delivered by a court in Virginia unanimously on 10 November. Prince William County Circuit Court, after nearly six weeks of testimony, found him guilty of first-degree murder along with related charges of concealing and tampering with the dead body, and physically defiling it. The verdict came after more than four hours of deliberations.
“Until I heard it, I didn’t think it was going to come through because we spent over two years hitting roadblocks, waiting for answers,” Holly Wirth, a friend of the victim, told 7News. “There’s no amount of jail time, there’s nothing that can be done to Naresh that will ever bring Mamta back, or give ‘mini Mamta’ her mother.”
The 39-year-old Bhatt reportedly remained expressionless as the jury’s findings were read. He briefly spoke with his attorney. The judge revoked his bond.
The sentencing is scheduled for 12 March. Bhatt’s charge, first-degree murder, carries a potential sentence of 20 years to life in prison as per the laws in Virginia. The body-related charges carry up to five years of imprisonment.
The murder and the lies
Mamta Kafle Bhatt was a 28-year-old Nepali nurse. She had studied nursing in India before moving to Northern Virginia after marriage and worked at a local medical centre. She is survived by a 3-year-old daughter.
According to reports, she disappeared from the family home in Manassas Park in late July 2024. Her last known appearance was at the residence around 29-31 July. Her body was never recovered. She was later presumed dead, and her husband was arrested in August 2024 in connection with the case.
During the course of the trial, Bhatt took the stand and admitted he dismembered and disposed of his wife’s remains—using a power saw he purchased at Home Depot, among other tools. He claims that he found her unconscious and was unable to revive her. He maintained she had died by suicide involving pesticide or insecticide and said he acted in a state of panic. Prosecutors rejected the account.
In her closing statement, Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Sarah Sami told the jury not to believe Bhatt’s “made up crazy story.”
She highlighted a text message Naresh sent Mamta 162 days earlier that read, in part, “The days are coming that you will regret a lot,” and argued he followed through.
“The defendant murdered Mamta Kafle, the defendant dismembered Mamta Kafle and the defendant got rid of her like garbage,” she said, noting that her remains were left in a landfill. “That is what this family will have to live with.”
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The case largely rested on evidence including DNA, surveillance footage (including the saw purchase), phone and vehicle records, financial data, water-meter readings, and Bhatt’s own admissions about handling the body. No autopsy or precise medical cause of death was available since the remains could not be found. The jury rejected the suicide-and-panic narrative and convicted Bhatt on all three counts.
“This verdict represents an important measure of justice for Mamta Kafle Bhatt, whose life was tragically taken and whose family has endured more than two years of unimaginable pain and uncertainty,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth said.
Family members were seen embracing after the verdict, with one thanking a prosecutor.
“We hope, however, that today’s verdict provides them (the family) with some measure of justice and allows them to begin moving forward knowing that Mamta’s life mattered, her story was heard, and the person responsible has been held accountable,” Ashworth added.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)