Details in this report are disturbing.
A Northern Virginia man accused of killing his wife, Mamta Bhatt, gave a saw to a landscaper in an effort to get rid of evidence, the prosecution argued. That saw was later found to have her blood and DNA on it, they said.
Although Mamta Bhatt’s body has never been found since she disappeared from their home in Manassas Park in July 2024, attorney Matthew Sweet told the jury the prosecution would present evidence proving Naresh Bhatt murdered and dismembered her body.
During opening statements Wednesday, Sweet said one piece of evidence includes a saw that Naresh Bhatt allegedly handed over to a landscaper who was working on a house in their neighborhood. The landscaper later brought the saw to police after realizing Bhatt’s wife had disappeared, Sweet said. Investigators took samples from the saw, which matched Mamta Bhatt’s blood and DNA, he said.
Sweet also argued during his opening statement that Mamta would not have run off a couple of weeks before her daughter’s first birthday.
“How does a brand new mother, Mamta, leave her brand new baby? Throughout this trial it will become crystal clear. The answer to that question every time is premeditated first-degree murder,” Sweet said.
The prosecution argued forensic evidence from the home, suspicious Google searches and Naresh Bhatt’s statements prove his guilt. But the defense told the jury they should focus on what they called gaps in the evidence.
“There is a sort of black hole at the time of Mamta Kafle’s disappearance and it’s a hole where evidence should be, a hole that the government will not be able to fill for you. They’re going to try to fill the gap with ideas and speculations and guesses, but not with actual fact. There will be things at the conclusion of the evidence that you just won’t know,” Naresh Bhatt’s attorney Tracey Lenox said.
Prosecutors previously said they have video showing Naresh Bhatt dropping large, heavy-duty garbage bags into dumpsters and trash compactors throughout Northern Virginia. They believe Mamta Bhatt’s remains were in the bags.
Two witnesses took the stand to end the first day of evidence. There was a former coworker of Mamta Bhatt and one of the sergeants that worked the case and was one of the first people to interview Naresh Bhatt at the family’s home. The second day of evidence continues on Thursday.
Naresh Bhatt has maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to first-degree murder, defiling a dead body and concealment of a dead body. He has changed attorneys over the past two years and tried to get his current public defender removed from his case as recently as last month.
He told the judge just before his arraignment that he’s not ready for trial and wants the judge to recuse herself. The judge denied his motion for recusal and said the trial is moving forward.
Video cameras are allowed in the courtroom, but live broadcasting and livestreaming are not.
The Bhatts’ daughter, who is now 3 years old, is being cared for by relatives.
