When Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a registered nurse at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, missed her August 1 shift, her supervisor called police on August 2. The officers conducted a welfare check at the couple’s Manassas Park home and found no evidence of her presence, prompting a search that involved local police, the Nepali community and her family.
Sarita Neupane, a close friend, told the court that she had seen Mamta in distress in the months before her disappearance. She described an altercation in which Naresh Bhatt struck Mamta over a cleaning dispute, leaving a large bruise that forced Mamta to postpone a traditional baby‑food ceremony. Neupane also said Bhatt had cut off her cellphone, prevented her from driving, and barred her from accessing her own bank account.
Prosecutors presented forensic evidence linking Bhatt to the crime. Blood and DNA from Mamta’s body were found on a saw that Bhatt gave to a landscaper, and surveillance footage shows him disposing of heavy‑duty garbage bags in Northern Virginia dumpsters—bags believed to contain her remains.
Bhatt has pleaded not guilty and his attorney, Tracey Lenox, argues that the prosecution’s case relies on speculation. The trial will open on September 3, 2024, with jury selection slated for September 10.