A Virginia man who prosecutors said searched on the internet for “how long does it take to get married” after a spouse dies is now charged with his wife’s murder.
Naresh Bhatt faces three felony counts — murder, physically defiling a dead body and concealing a dead body — in connection with the disappearance of his 28-year-old wife Mamta Kafle Bhatt, court records show.
A grand jury indicted Bhatt on the charges of murder and physically defiling a body on Monday. He initially was arrested and charged with concealing her body in August, according to court records.
Mamta Kafle was last seen on July 31 in Manassas Park, Virginia, Manassas Police announced just over a week later. Police suspected she went missing on “involuntary circumstances.”
Prosecutors say that Bhatt used his work laptop to search: “How long does it take to get married after spouse die?” and “What happen to debt” with “died spouse” in April, months before Mamta’s disappearance, WUSA9 reported.
Her body has not been found, police said at a Monday press conference. Police have obtained more than 40 warrants — subpoenas, search warrants, and court orders — over the course of this investigation, and searched over 20 locations over northern Virginia, Chief Mario Lugo said.
The new charges were filed after blood that was found in both the bathroom and the bedroom of the Bhatt home was traced back to Mamta Kafle. Authorities believe she was dragged through the rooms.
Authorities were called to the couple’s home on August 2 to check on her welfare, police previously said.
When police questioned Bhatt, he claimed that his wife was either in New York or Texas visiting family — but prosecutors allege that she doesn’t have any family in the US, according to WUSA9.
At the time of the welfare check, he did not yet want to report Mamta as missing. Three days later, on August 5, he reported his wife as missing.
One day after Mamta was last seen alive, on July 30, prosecutors allege that Bhatt bought three knives, the outlet reported. He was later captured on surveillance footage at a different Walmart buying cleaning supplies, according to prosecutors.
Bhatt told WUSA9 that the last time he saw his wife was July 31 when they shared dinner. “She was the one who cooked and do the kitchen stuff. We do not have any specific conversation. We do not have any argument or something like that,” he noted.
He continued: “It was like normal day we were taking care of our babies.”
Bhatt’s jury trial is scheduled to begin December 9 in Prince William County Circuit Court.
A GoFundMe page for Mamta Kafle has raised nearly $245,000.
“We are reaching out with heavy hearts about the tragic disappearance of Mamta Kafle, a devoted mother to a 1-year-old daughter. Mamta’s husband has been arrested and faces serious accusations related to her disappearance, leaving Mamta’s daughter without her mother,” says the message on the site.
All contributions will be put in a dedicated trust for Mamta’s daughter.
