A husband accused of murdering his wife and hiding her body allegedly conducted incriminating internet searches before she disappeared.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, a pediatric nurse from Manassas Park, Virginia, was last seen on July 28, even missing her daughter’s first birthday, and is presumed dead.
Her husband, Naresh Bhatt, 37, has been charged with hiding a corpse, but while prosecutors have said he did it, they have not yet charged him with murder.
In April, Naresh sought “how long does it take to get married when a spouse dies” and “what happens to the deceased spouse’s debts,” prosecutors said in court Monday.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, a pediatric nurse from Manassas Park, Virginia, was last seen on July 28, even missing her daughter’s first birthday, and is presumed dead.
Her husband, Naresh Bhatt, 37, has been charged with hiding a corpse, but although prosecutors said he did so, they have not yet charged him with murder.
He used his work computer to conduct the searches, and the U.S. Secret Service, with which he has ties and a security clearance, gave police the search history.
Prosecutors also revealed that Naresh sold his Tesla days before his arrest on August 22, but police were able to track him down at a local dealership and are searching the car’s computer.
Naresh also tried to sell the family home and police found he had packed his belongings when they arrived, including his and his daughter’s passports.
Police used blue light to find blood stains throughout the couple’s bedroom and bathroom, which had been cleaned, and evidence that a body had been dragged through the house.
Defense attorneys told the court the blood came from a nosebleed.
Mamta was last seen at work at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center on July 27 and spoke to a friend on the phone on July 28, police said.
She also posted a video on her TikTok of her daughter walking up the stairs that same day.
Mamta’s husband Naresh Bhatt has been named as a person of interest in the case and had not been cooperating with the investigation, police said. He was taken out of his home in handcuffs today.
The couple in front of their home in Virginia when Mamta was pregnant
Police visited the home on August 2 to check on her welfare after she failed to show up for work and her colleagues became concerned.
Naresh told them he last saw his wife on July 31 and did not want to report her missing because she was with her family in Texas.
However, Mamta, who is of Nepalese descent, has no family in the United States, according to prosecutors and friends.
Naresh finally reported her missing three days later and made a tearful public appeal for her to return home.
But police believe he lied about the timeline and that Mamta was already dead on July 31.
Prosecutors also informed the court about allegations of domestic violence that Mamta made against her husband.
She told Manassas Park police that Naresh destroyed her phone and refused to hand over her passport and other important documents.
Naresh claimed to have destroyed his own phone, but prosecutors said the phone continued to receive messages and calls until August 1, when he died.
The court heard that friends told police they saw bruises on her body and offered to help her leave the allegedly abusive marriage.
Bhatt’s shocking arrest comes days after he made an emotional televised appeal for the safe return of his wife.
Officers search the contents of the house and are at the back of the house.
In February, Mamta posted on the Facebook group ‘Separated, Divorced and Single Mothers of Virginia, Maryland and DC’ that she has a six-month-old baby and is in the process of separating.
“I work two days a week and my husband doesn’t help me take care of the baby. He says that if I leave him with him, he will send him into custody. Is that possible? I need help taking care of him,” she said.
‘I need help from a social worker and I need some advice.’
Robin Kuppusamy, a friend of the missing mother, shared a post on August 12 expressing her concern for her friend.
“Several women and I have been talking to her on our Facebook divorce separation group to find her help since she left her husband until she disappeared from the radar,” Kuppusamy wrote.
She added that she “would never have left her daughter behind.”
Mamta also shared that she and her husband were still living together, but she had no money anymore. She wrote, in part, “I also have no money now, he withdrew all the money from the joint account.”
Social media posts reveal that Mamta had reached out to other mothers in the area for help.
Manassas Park City Police Chief Mario Lugo said at a news conference Wednesday that there are a few people of interest in the case, including Bhatt. He added that he is “not cooperating with them in their investigation.”
Earlier in the day, a search warrant was executed at the family home. During the press conference, Lugo confirmed that Mamta’s husband was not cooperating with the investigation. Fox5 CC reported.
Since she disappeared, the police chief said he and his team have been actively searching for the young mother and following all leads.
So far, he said, more than 100 clues have been found and more than 10 search warrants have been executed. Forensic services are also involved.
He explained that detectives have also been in contact with the Nepalese community.
On August 14, Bhatt was present during an unscheduled press conference with community leaders and concerned neighbors held outside the police department.
At the time, he expressed his gratitude to the community for their help. He said, “I need your help in a positive way. Thank you for doing what you’re doing, keep doing what you’re doing during this difficult time.”
He asked one of the women at the post office that she had no money because she withdrew it all from a joint account.
He too He told the outlet that his wife’s disappearance has taken a toll on him and his 11-month-old daughter.
“I’m very tired. Tired, exhausted, physically, mentally and financially. I’m suffering,” he told the outlet. “I’m suffering a lot.”
That same day, nearly a dozen volunteers searched the trail at Blooms Park, where Matma often went with her young daughter.
Her husband was reported not to have participated.
Sammy Choudhary, a friend and neighbor of the missing woman who helped organize the search, became emotional as he spoke to Fox5 DC.
“If something were to happen to her, I want justice to be done. I don’t think anyone should have to go through this. There is a missing person.”
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