A Virginia man on trial for his wife's murder shocked the courtroom on Thursday by claiming she died by suicide and that he subsequently dismembered her body in a panic. Naresh Bhatt made the admission while testifying in his own defense in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Mamta Kafle, from their Manassas Park home in July 2024.
Kafle's body has never been found, and prosecutors accuse Bhatt of killing and dismembering her. Bhatt testified that he discovered his wife unresponsive on the floor of their primary bedroom late at night. He told jurors he saw pills in vomit near her and pesticides close by, prompting him to decide against calling authorities.
"I'm gonna hide somewhere or throw somewhere else to, so nobody know it," Bhatt stated when asked about his immediate actions. He then admitted he tried to place her body in a trash can. The testimony elicited gasps from the courtroom and caused Kafle's mother to leave at one point, according to NBC Washington.
Bhatt's account dramatically contrasts with his earlier statements to police and reporters following his wife's disappearance, when he claimed she had left their home and might be in New York or Texas. Bhatt has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, defiling a dead body, and concealment of a dead body.
During his testimony, Bhatt acknowledged that his relationship with Kafle had deteriorated in the months leading up to her disappearance, though he denied ever assaulting her. This comes after jurors heard testimony from Kafle's brother, Mahesh, who claimed he had warned his sister against marrying Bhatt. Mahesh testified that his sister had secretly sent him a photograph appearing to show her with a black eye, which she attributed to Bhatt, and asked him to save it for potential future use.
Prosecutors have presented forensic evidence, including testimony from a Department of Forensic Science witness who stated it was "beyond likely" that blood found on the couple's bedroom carpet belonged to Kafle. Forensic analyst Iris Dalley Graff described apparent attempts to clean blood from the room and move furniture to conceal evidence, noting missing blood stains on the carpet's upper surface suggested cleaning.
Jurors also heard testimony linking Kafle's blood to an electric saw that prosecutors believe was used in her death. A forensic scientist testified that DNA and blood samples recovered from the tool were very likely Kafle's. Prosecutors stated Bhatt purchased the saw months before the alleged murder and later gave it to a landscaper, who subsequently turned it over to the police.