Naresh Bhatt, the Manassas Park man accused of concealing his missing wife's body, is set to go to trial before the end of the year, a judge decided in a courtroom packed with supporters of the mom who hasn't been seen since July.
A judge set Dec. 9 as the date after prosecutors and the defense went back and forth at Monday’s quick hearing. Prosecutors wanted the trial to begin early next year, saying they needed time to organize witnesses and prepare. The defense argued for an earlier start.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt has not been seen since the end of July. The 28-year-old originally from Nepal moved to the U.S. for an arranged marriage in 2021. She recently missed her baby girl's first birthday, and her family members rushed to the U.S. to take care of the child.
Her husband was arrested at the couple’s home last month on a single charge of concealing a body. But in the criminal complaint, police accused him of killing Mamta Kafle Bhatt. Prosecutors have laid out chilling allegations, including that pooling blood was found in the primary bedroom and bathroom of the couple's home.
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Every seat in the courtroom was filled as a few family members and former colleagues showed up to Monday's hearing along with dozens of supporters from the community. Many hadn’t known Mamta before.
“Everyone who is standing here today is a warrior for Mamta, and every time people show up, it’s going to make Naresh Bhatt feel a little more uncomfortable,” Holly Wirth, who worked with Mamta Kafle Bhatt, said.
Wirth pleaded that anyone with information contact police.
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“At the end of the day, somebody knows something. Somebody saw something. And if you could please call that in, that’s where justice is gonna be, and we can bring Mamta home to her family and her daughter,” she said.
Bhatt's defense team argued in court Friday they believe Mamta Kafle Bhatt is still alive. A judge ordered prosecutors to turn over two pieces of evidence that the defense said could be exculpatory, or help to prove their client's innocence.
Defense attorneys said Naresh Bhatt waited several days to report his wife missing because Mamta Kafle Bhatt left for several days earlier in the year without telling him where she was going. Naresh Bhatt's attorneys claim police told him at that time to wait several days to see if she turned up before reporting her missing. They requested the reports from those interactions with police, which the judge granted.
The defense also requested surveillance video that shows a woman picking up Mamta from work two days before she disapppeared. They said they don't know who the woman is and they want to identify her so they can talk to her. The judge ordered prosecutors to share that video with the defense.
Naresh Bhatt's attorneys argued for other evidence, including car and cellphone GPS data, but the judge did not grant those requests.
The defense was granted a speedy trial in early September. Prosecutors had argued against a speedy trial, saying it would be challenging to be ready that quickly.
Timeline of Mamta Kafle Bhatt's disappearance
Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a nurse, was reported missing after failing to show up for her shifts at work. Friends said that was highly unusual since she was caring for her baby and often active on social media.
Investigators have conducted multiple searches at the Bhatt home. Search warrants have revealed details about what investigators believe were Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s last days.
A detective wrote that on July 29 – the last day friends heard from Mamta Kafle Bhatt – there were numerous calls with her husband. After that, all calls went to voicemail.
Naresh Bhatt told police his wife destroyed her phone before July 31 — the day he told police that he last saw her.
But on Aug. 1, her phone was pinging in the Aldie area of Northern Virginia. Naresh Bhatt told police he was at a cafe there.
Police say they have video showing Naresh Bhatt at a Walmart purchasing cleaning supplies. He also went to a Walmart in Prince William County and purchased a set of knives. Two of those knives are now missing, prosecutors said.
Police conducted a welfare check on Aug. 2, and Naresh Bhatt reported his wife missing on Aug. 5, police said.
Bhatt was arrested on Aug. 22, one day after investigators were seen in the Bhatt family home.
Passports for Bhatt and his daughter were in full view when police entered the home for a search. Prosecutors said there’s evidence that Naresh Bhatt was in the process of packing up his home and selling his car.
Manassas Park officers and the Prince William County police have searched several parks and communities for evidence. It's still unknown if searchers found anything relating to the case.
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