Murder Trial: Bhatt Defense Prepares for Turn

The murder trial of Naresh Bhatt will enter a new phase on Monday in Manassas, Virginia. Prosecutors are expected to rest their case, handing the floor to the defense. The trial has now reached its fifth week.

Defense attorneys hold the option to call Bhatt to the stand. However, the defendant maintains the legal right to remain silent. Jurors are instructed that they cannot hold his silence against him during deliberations.

Bhatt faces three charges: first-degree murder, concealing a dead body, and defiling a dead body. He has stayed in custody since his arrest in August 2024. The prosecution recently presented a power saw to the jury. Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney identified the tool as the murder weapon. Investigators found blood and hair fragments inside the device.

Prosecutors also introduced text messages from Bhatt. These exchanges show him arguing with his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, and telling another person he wanted a Colombian woman. The state argues these texts prove motive. They allege Bhatt killed his wife because he was ready to start a new life.

A forensics investigator from Prince William County detailed Bhatt’s mobile internet searches. Earlier testimony included surveillance video. The footage shows Bhatt wearing gloves. He is seen throwing bags into trash dumpsters at two different apartment complexes.

The defense has challenged parts of the evidence. Attorneys argue that communications in Nepali may have been mistranslated. They also questioned a hairbrush belonging to Mamta Kafle Bhatt that was used for DNA testing. The case began on Aug. 1, 2024, when Mamta Kafle Bhatt missed a shift at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center. Co-workers requested a welfare check at the couple’s Heather Court home on Aug. 2. Bhatt told officers he did not think his wife was missing. He claimed he last saw her on July 29. Relatives stated she would never leave her infant daughter. Bhatt filed a missing person report on Aug. 5, 2024. He told officers his wife had threatened divorce. Police classified the disappearance as involuntary that same day. Officers arrested Bhatt on Aug. 22, 2024, after finding bloodstains in the primary bedroom and bathroom. Her body has not been found.