MANASSAS, Va. - The murder trial of Naresh Bhatt continued Wednesday as prosecutors presented cellphone records and vehicle tracking data in the case against the Manassas Park man accused of killing and dismembering his wife, 28-year-old pediatric nurse Mamta Kafle Bhatt.
An FBI expert testified Wednesday, reviewing cellphone records for both Bhatt and his wife alongside location data from his blue Tesla. The expert stated that the data generally placed the pair in the same vicinity, with three notable exceptions. In one instance, Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s phone remained stationary while her husband's vehicle traveled to Chantilly. Neighbors from three separate households also took the stand Tuesday, testifying that Bhatt never notified them that his wife was missing.
Bhatt, who has remained in custody since his August 2024 arrest, faces charges of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body, and defiling a dead body.
The case originated when Mamta Kafle Bhatt failed to report for work at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center on Aug. 1, 2024. Co-workers requested a welfare check at the couple’s Heather Court home the next day after she missed two consecutive shifts. Bhatt initially told responding officers he did not believe his wife was missing, claiming he last saw her July 29, though relatives and friends maintained she would never abandon her infant daughter.
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Bhatt officially filed a missing persons report Aug. 5, 2024. Investigators initially uncovered no evidence of foul play after Bhatt told officers his wife had threatened to leave and suggested divorce. Later that day, authorities formally classified her disappearance as involuntary.
Police arrested Bhatt on Aug. 22, 2024, after uncovering extensive bloodstains inside the home's primary bedroom and bathroom. Court records show investigators recovered a power saw containing hair fragments and gathered evidence indicating Bhatt visited multiple trash disposal facilities. Her body has not been recovered.
The Source: Information in this article comes from The Associated Press and FOX 5 DC reporting.