Attorneys in Naresh Bhatt’s murder trial argued Thursday over whether statements Mamta Kafle Bhatt allegedly made to her brother about abuse by her husband can be heard by jurors, WUSA 9 reported.
Judge Kimberly Irving ruled some of the 12 statements are admissible and some are not. Mahesh Kafle’s testimony that his sister told him she felt unsafe will be allowed, as will her statements about what she feared her husband would do if he found out she was taking pictures. Other specific statements about what Naresh Bhatt allegedly did to her will not be allowed.
Naresh Bhatt is charged with first-degree murder, concealing a dead body and defiling a dead body. Mamta Kafle Bhatt vanished from the couple’s Manassas Park home at the end of July 2024, and her body has never been found.
Earlier Thursday, prosecutors called five short witnesses, four on the couple’s financial records and one about Bhatt selling his Tesla at CarMax on Aug. 16, 2024, a week before his arrest.
Prosecutors expect to rest their case Monday, with about six witnesses left, before the defense presents its case.
