What to know about the US trial over Mamta Kafle’s disappearance
Summary
A Virginia jury is hearing the murder trial of Naresh Bhatt, accused of killing his wife Mamta Kafle Bhatt and disposing of her remains after she disappeared in 2024. Prosecutors are relying on DNA, blood evidence, surveillance video and digital records even though her body has not been found.
Key Points
- Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a Nepali native living in Northern Virginia, disappeared in July 2024 and has never been found.
- Prosecutors say Naresh Bhatt killed, dismembered and discarded her remains, and he is on trial for first-degree murder and related charges.
- The state’s case relies on circumstantial and forensic evidence including blood on a saw, DNA from Kafle’s hairbrush, surveillance video and internet searches.
- The defense argues the evidence is incomplete and that the case depends on assumptions rather than proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
