Bhatt Denies Killing Wife While Admitting He Disposed of Her Remains

Naresh Bhatt returned to the witness stand as his defense presented its case in Prince William County Circuit Court. He is charged with first-degree murder and offenses involving concealment and defilement of a corpse tied to his wife’s disappearance. Mamta Kafle Bhatt has not been found.

Bhatt testified that he found his wife dead at their Manassas Park home in July 2024. He said his body was shaking and that she was already gone when he tried CPR. He denied killing her and said he had never physically harmed her. He also testified that he still loved her and regretted how he had treated her emotionally.

Last week, Bhatt acknowledged dismembering and disposing of her remains. He said he feared being blamed for her death, and testified that he kept what he had done from police, relatives and friends. He further acknowledged not calling 911. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecutors challenged his account, questioning him about photographs showing injuries his wife had sent before she disappeared, his military training, his statements to investigators and his failure to seek emergency help. The prosecutor accused Bhatt of killing his wife; Bhatt denied it. He maintained that she was already dead when he found her.

The investigation began after Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a nurse, failed to report for work. Police arrested Bhatt in August 2024 after finding bloodstains in the couple’s bedroom and bathroom and hair fragments on a power saw. The defense is seeking to persuade jurors that Bhatt’s account is truthful as the trial continues.