Indian-origin Naresh Bhatt, who is facing trial for the alleged murder of his wife Mamta Kafle in the US state of Virginia, testified on Thursday (local time) that she had died by suicide and that he later dismembered and disposed of her body in household trash cans. Bhatt, whose wife disappeared in July 2024 and whose body has never been found, made the claims during his second day of testimony in a murder trial in Manassas Park.Bhatt told the court that he discovered Kafle lying unresponsive on the floor of their bedroom around 4am on July 30, 2024, after waking up to attend to their infant daughter. He claimed she had vomit on her body and the floor, with pills and a bottle of medication nearby. He also alleged that open containers of pesticides were present and that the chemical appeared to be mixed with the vomit.According to his testimony, Bhatt tried to revive his wife for around 45 minutes to an hour before moving her from the bedroom to the bathroom and attempting to give her water. He claimed she remained unresponsive and was not breathing.When his defence lawyer asked why he had not called emergency services, Bhatt said he was scared and panicked. “I really at that point scared. I don’t know why I did not. I tried to call. I really scared. I don’t know why. Something take over me. I was really, really panic. I don’t know … I don’t really even, like, it’s been, like, over two years. I have completed more than 3,500 hours of meditation. Still I don’t have that answer,” he told the court.
What Bhatt said
Bhatt also admitted that he had cut up his wife’s body and disposed of it in trash cans at their home over the following day to day-and-a-half.He testified that after discovering Kafle’s body, he contacted the couple’s babysitter and took their daughter to her home. He then went to a Home Depot store, where he bought gloves and looked for items to conceal the body. Asked by his lawyer why he had purchased gloves, he replied, “I have no idea.”Describing what he did after returning home, Bhatt told the court, “Put in the trash can.” He added, “Reduced the size and then put in the trash can. With a, in the bag.”When asked how he had done this, he said, “I had a saw. I used the saw.” He also acknowledged using knives, but said, “Little bit, but not a lot,” NBC Washington quoted him as saying.
Prosecution challenges his version of events
Bhatt’s testimony marks a major shift from what he had told police and the media after his wife’s disappearance. At the time, he had claimed that Kafle had left their home and suggested she could be in New York or Texas.During cross-examination, prosecutor Matthew Sweet confronted him over the change in his account, calling him a liar. Bhatt responded, “Yes,” when asked whether he had lied.The prosecution had earlier presented surveillance footage showing Bhatt wearing gloves and dumping multiple bags into different trash dumpsters. During his testimony, he denied that the bags contained his wife’s remains, claiming they held her personal belongings.The prosecution also presented forensic evidence linking blood found on the couple’s bedroom carpet to Kafle. A forensic scientist testified that it was “beyond likely” that most of the blood found on the stained carpet belonged to her. Another expert described patterns in the blood evidence that suggested the carpet had been cleaned.Last week, a forensic scientist also testified that DNA and blood samples found on an electric saw were very likely to be Kafle’s blood. Prosecutors have said Bhatt purchased the saw months before her disappearance.
What is the case against Naresh Bhatt?
Mamta Kafle, a nurse originally from Nepal, disappeared from her home in Manassas Park, Virginia, in July 2024. Her body has not been recovered.Bhatt is facing charges of first-degree murder, defiling a dead body and concealing a dead body. He has pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence.The prosecution had earlier presented testimony from Kafle’s brother, Mahesh, who told the court that his sister had shared a photograph appearing to show a black eye and had told him Bhatt was responsible for the injury. He also testified that she had asked him to keep the photograph because she might need it later.A friend of the couple told the court that Bhatt had given her Kafle’s jewellery and his wedding ring a few weeks after Kafle went missing. The friend also said Bhatt had discussed the possibility of divorcing his wife months before