Virginia Jury Convicts Naresh Bhatt in Death of Wife Mamta Kafle Bhatt

A jury has convicted Naresh Bhatt of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, The Guardian reported. The jury returned its verdict on Tuesday, after a six-week trial in Manassas, Virginia. Bhatt was also convicted of concealing a dead body and of defiling a dead body.

Mamta Kafle Bhatt was 28 years old when she died in July 2024. Her mother is Gita Kafle.

The case was prosecuted by the Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney's office, the local prosecutor's office for the county. During the trial, Bhatt testified that his wife died by suicide using a pesticide. He also admitted to buying knives and cleaning supplies at Home Depot and Walmart to hide a body, and to using knives and a saw to cut up her body so it would fit in a garbage can.

Jurors were shown surveillance footage of Bhatt tossing large items into dumpsters near his house. Evidence presented at trial also included internet searches made by Bhatt, among them the question "what happens if spouse disappears?"

Bhatt faces a life sentence. He is scheduled to be sentenced in March.