Mamta Kafle Bhatt's friends react after her husband describes dismembering her body: 'He has no heart'
RAW TESTIMONY: Naresh Bhatt testifies he dismembered wife's body after finding her dead in bedroom
Naresh Bhatt testified Thursday that he dismembered his wife's body after finding her dead on their bedroom floor, attempting to make her body smaller to fit in the trash can. According to Bhatt, he moved her body into the bathroom but stopped dismembering her on that first day because he lacked the physical strength to go on. Bhatt told the court he was unable to sleep that night due to his fear of "everything, including ghosts." Bhatt faces charges of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body, and defiling a dead body in connection with his wife's disappearance. Her body has not been found.
MANASSAS PARK, Va. - Some of Mamta Kafle Bhatt's friends and community members reacted with shock and disgust after her husband, Naresh Bhatt, testified that he dismembered her body after finding her dead.
Naresh Bhatt's testimony
Naresh is accused of killing Mamta Kafle, who was reported missing in August 2024. Police launched an investigation after she failed to show up for her shift as a nurse.
File Photo.
Naresh initially told police he did not believe his wife was missing, but later filed a missing persons report. He was arrested on Aug. 22, 2024, after police found bloodstains in the couple's bedroom and bathroom. A power saw with hair fragments was discovered during the investigation.
On Wednesday, during the 17th day of his murder trial, Naresh testified that he dismembered Mamta Kafle's body, describing how he found her dead on their bedroom floor on July 30, 2024. According to Naresh, there was vomit on the floor and on Mamta Kafle's face, which had traces of blood, pill capsules and evidence of an agricultural fumigant used to kill insects.
READ MORE | Naresh Bhatt testifies he dismembered wife's body after finding her dead in bedroom
Naresh detailed how he performed CPR and life-saving measures before deciding to cut up Mamta Kafle's body, starting with separating her legs from her torso.
Friends, community members react
What they're saying:
Outside of the courthouse, following Naresh's testimony, Mamta Kafle's friends and community members expressed outrage and disgust.
"It was unexpected, unbelievable," said Mamta Kafle’s friend Bina Khadkalama.
"It was very hard to hold myself, and my job was to hold Gita, Mamta’s mom, that was the hardest job today," Khadkalama said. "She broke down very bad, and we had to walk her outside the bathroom. It’s just unfair to the world. He lied to everyone."
READ MORE | Mother, friend of Mamta Kafle Bhatt testify in her husband Naresh Bhatt’s murder trial
Community member Melissa Barton claimed Naresh showed no emotion during his testimony.
"It's not surprising he showed no emotion because when she went missing from day one, he did not help us look for her," Barton said. "He did not hang up a single sign. He didn't come with us. We all did the searches by ourselves without him and he never showed one ounce of care from day one."
"I'm imagining how did he cut her arms and legs, and then put her body in a trash bag and try to fit it in the trash can…he has no heart," Khadkalama said.
The Source: Information in this article is from court proceedings and original FOX 5 DC reporting.