The husband of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a Nepali nurse from Manassas Park, Virginia, who has been missing since July, has been indicted for first-degree murder. A Prince William County grand jury on Monday charged Naresh Bhatt with first-degree murder and physically defiling a dead body, according to court documents. Previously, Bhatt had only faced charges related to concealing a body.
Under Virginia Code § 18.2-32, first-degree murder is defined as murder other than capital murder. It includes killings committed under specific circumstances. These include the use of poison, lying in wait, imprisonment, or starvation, as well as murders committed during the commission or attempted commission of crimes like arson, rape, forcible sodomy, sexual penetration by an object, robbery, burglary, or abduction. Additionally, the killing must have been willful, deliberate, and premeditated.
First-degree murder is classified as a Class 2 felony in Virginia. If convicted, a person can face a life sentence and be fined up to $100,000, reflecting the severity of this crime.
Naresh Bhatt, 37, has been held without bond in Prince William County Jail since August 22. He is seeking an expedited trial.
A jury trial on charges of concealing a body had been scheduled for December 9 at the Prince William Circuit Court, but the status of that hearing is now uncertain following the additional charges.
Authorities have yet to recover Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s body or the murder weapon. However, court filings indicate that investigators believe Bhatt deliberately and premeditatedly killed Mamta between July 29 and August 2 and concealed her body.
During earlier court proceedings, prosecutors presented evidence such as cell phone data, surveillance footage, GPS data from Bhatt’s Tesla, and records from license plate readers. They allege that Bhatt was observed traveling to a landfill with large garbage bags during the time of Mamta’s disappearance.
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Susan Shrestha
View More PostsSusan Shrestha is a Europe-based journalist. He covers a wide range of topics, from local matters to global affairs. Shrestha previously worked as a reporter for Khasokhas in Nepal.
