Witnesses began testifying Wednesday in the trial of Naresh Bhatt, charged in the 2024 disappearance of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, WTOP reports.
A jury of 17, including five alternates, heard opening statements in Prince William Circuit Court. The trial is expected to last about seven weeks. Mamta’s body has not been found.
Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Matthew Sweet told jurors the case rests on “powerful and persuasive circumstantial evidence,” including blood in the home and on a saw that matched Mamta’s DNA. Chief Public Defender Tracey Lenox called that a “black hole” in the evidence.
Mamta’s nurse manager, Jessica Harasek, said she has not heard from Mamta since she missed work. Manassas Park Sgt. Brandon Johnson said that at an Aug. 2, 2024, welfare check, Bhatt told officers Mamta had disappeared before and come back.
