Attorney discusses pivot by defense, possible next steps after conviction in Naresh Bhatt trial

MANASSAS, Va. - A jury deliberated for four hours before delivering a guilty verdict in the Naresh Bhatt murder trial Tuesday. The case, which has drawn attention across Northern Virginia and parts of Nepal, centered on the disappearance of Naresh’s wife, 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt.

What we know:

Mamta Kafle, a registered nurse and mother who was working to become a U.S. citizen, was last seen in July 2024. Her daughter was 11 months old and was weeks away from her first birthday at the time that Mamta Kafle disappeared.

For two years, family members from Nepal along with friends and community members in Northern Virginia were desperate for answers about Mamta Kafle’s whereabouts. Her body has never been found.

During the six-week trial, jurors heard from friends and family members of the couple, forensic experts and investigators.

READ MORE | Naresh Bhatt convicted of murder in death of wife Mamta Kafle Bhatt

Naresh Bhatt testifies to dismembering wife 

The trial shifted dramatically in the third week when Naresh took the witness stand in his own defense. He testified that he found his wife dead from suicide in their bedroom on July 30, 2024, and dismembered her body inside their home before disposing of her remains.

Naresh acknowledged dismembering and concealing Mamta Kafle’s body but denied killing her. He said he performed life-saving measures before deciding to cut up Mamta Kafle’s body, starting with separating her legs from her torso.

Trial attorney Mike Hollingsworth highlighted this shift as the defining moment of the proceedings. Hollingsworth was not involved in this case. 

"What stood out the most was the pivot by the defense," Hollingsworth said. "To go from giving an opening statement talking about how the Commonwealth won't be able to fill the void with merely circumstantial evidence and making that the theme of your case, and then when it's the defense's turn to not only put the defendant on the stand... but to then have him testify that she was dead the entire time."

READ MORE | Naresh Bhatt set for March 2027 sentencing hearing

Hollingsworth described the defense’s position as severely compromised once Naresh made those admissions on the stand.

"They didn't have a great defense to work with to begin with, but the case was over as soon as he said that," Hollingsworth noted.

He characterized Naresh's testimony as an attempt to avoid a first-degree murder conviction.

"It's such a self-serving, pathetic effort to try to maintain some sort of posture that he's innocent of the major charge but will certainly acknowledge the lesser charge, and some hope that the jury will hang on to that and maybe give him... the five or 10 years that come with the charges on the body. It's frankly, it's insulting. And if I was a juror, I'd be insulted."

Next steps and possible appeal

In addressing possible next steps, Hollingsworth pointed out that Virginia law grants Naresh an automatic right of appeal to the Virginia Court of Appeals, meaning the court is required to review the case. However, Hollingsworth believes that Naresh has "no chance on appeal" because his testimony undermined potential procedural claims.

Hollingsworth also noted that the defense sought a trial postponement in September, citing a change in legal counsel and lack of time to review discovery. According to Hollingsworth, while that motion might have laid the groundwork for an ineffective assistance of counsel argument on appeal, Naresh’s decision to testify eliminated that strategy.

What's next:

Naresh is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on March 12, 2027, where he could face life in prison. 

According to Hollingsworth, the narrative that Naresh offered under oath has effectively erased any prospect of judicial leniency heading into sentencing.

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