The husband of a 28-year-old Nepali American woman who has been missing for more than three weeks has been charged in connection with her disappearance, police said.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt was last seen in public on July 27 and spoke to a friend the following day, according to the Manassas Park Police Department (MPPD). She was last seen by her husband, Naresh Bhatt, on July 31, and he reported her missing on August 5.
Chilling details emerged in court on Friday, including evidence of pooling blood and missing knives, as Naresh Bhatt faced a charge of concealing a dead body.
This development has shocked those who were hoping to find 28-year-old Mamta alive nearly a month after she was last seen by anyone other than her husband.
However, investigators have not called off the search for the mother of an 11-month-old, who missed her baby’s first birthday this week. Following Naresh Bhatt’s arrest, the couple’s daughter was placed in the care of the Department of Social Services, police said.
The MPPD stated that Naresh Bhatt was arrested on Thursday at his family home and charged with concealing a dead body.
Prosecutors presented evidence of pooling blood in the primary bedroom of the home, as well as blood and blood splatter in the primary bathroom. They also indicated that a body appeared to have been dragged.
During the hearing, prosecutors revealed that Naresh Bhatt had changed his story multiple times about when he last saw his wife. Police say they have video footage showing Naresh Bhatt at a Walmart purchasing cleaning supplies. He also bought a set of knives at a Walmart in Prince William County, and two of those knives are now missing, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors further disclosed that there was evidence suggesting Naresh Bhatt was in the process of packing up his home and selling his car. Passports for both Bhatt and his daughter were in plain sight when police conducted a search of the home.
Holly Wirth, a friend and former coworker of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, spoke outside the courthouse after the hearing, saying, “Seeking justice for Kafle Bhatt is going to be a marathon.”
“What we heard was worse than we could have ever imagined. I have to give credit to the Commonwealth attorneys. She spoke as frankly as she could, but the details are absolutely shocking,” Wirth added.
With Ani inputs
