MANASSAS, Va. - Testimony resumes Wednesday in the murder trial of Naresh Bhatt, the Manassas Park man accused of killing and dismembering his wife, 28-year-old pediatric nurse Mamta Kafle Bhatt.
During Tuesday's proceedings, Manassas Park Police Detective Claudia Ventura testified while body camera footage was played for jurors. Ventura testified that she found several things concerning in the home, including a large quantity of cleaning supplies. She also stated that Bhatt's explanation of his wife's disappearance did not add up. The public defender countered that Bhatt welcomed officers into his home during each police visit.
Last week that she spoke about her push to elevate the investigation after noticing the abrupt end to Mamta's social media activity and Bhatt's apparent lack of concern, telling jurors that "no mom would leave their child." Jurors also heard emotional testimony from Mamta's mother and a family friend, who detailed severe marital strain, financial isolation, and prior allegations of domestic violence.
The investigation began after Mamta failed to report for her shift at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center on Aug. 1, 2024, prompting co-workers to request a welfare check at the couple's home. Bhatt initially told officers he last saw his wife on July 29, 2024, and claimed she was not missing, but family and friends insisted she would never abandon her infant daughter.
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Bhatt officially filed a missing persons report on Aug. 5, 2024, and authorities declared her involuntarily missing. Investigators arrested Bhatt on Aug. 22, 2024, after discovering bloodstains in the primary bedroom and bathroom, seizing a power saw containing hair fragments, and gathering evidence that he visited multiple trash disposal sites. Her body has not been recovered.
Bhatt faces charges of first-degree murder, concealing a body, and defiling a dead body, and has remained in custody since his arrest. Court resumes at 9 a.m.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press, court proceedings and previous FOX 5 reporting.