Three weeks after a pediatric nurse failed to show up at work,her husband and the father of their infant daughter, has been arrested and accused of concealing her body, according to court documents.
Naresh Bhatt over the past few weeks stood in front of news outlets speaking on his wife Mamta Kafle’s disappearance and pleading for her return but appeared before a judge on Friday morning.
Bhatt Accused of Killing Kafle, ‘Dragging’ Her Body Outside
Bhatt was taken into custody from his home Thursday after investigators conducted a search at the couple’s home across two days, later charging him with Prohibition Against Concealment of a Dead Body – a felony in Virginia.
Inside the courtroom, prosecutors painted a scene alleging Bhatt killed his wife of more than three years in their Heather Court home on or around July 30, before “dragging” the body outside, according to court documents obtained by WJLA.
Police Found Pools of Blood in the Master Bedroom, Bathroom
“There was evidence in the residence indicating the body was inside the residence and dragged out of the residence,” according to the court document. During a search of the home, police said they found pools of blood in the master bedroom that led into the master bathroom and around the bathtub, but no DNA testing has been done.
At a Monday, Aug. 12 rally, her husband – who did not attend in person but spoke through a phone – said that he “need[s] to find her as soon as possible, using all the tools, community, society, police,” NBC 4 Washington reported.
The defense told the judge that Bhatt doesn’t have a history of violence and that there isn’t enough evidence, nor a confession, to prove his guilt. The judge determined that she would not change the terms of his bail, which means Bhatt will remain in police custody without bond.
At this point, Manassas Park police officials have presumed Kafle dead, but have not announced any murder charges related to the incident nor do they have a body.
Bhatt Made Conflicting Statements, Spotted Buying Knives and Cleaning Supplies
Kafle was reported missing on Aug. 5, after Bhatt told police he last saw her on July 31. Police on Thursday revealed that Kafle was last seen on July 28 and the last known contact was on July 29. Bhatt failed to work with authorities during the investigation while waiting until Aug. 5 to file a missing person’s report officially.
Police visited the couple’s home on Aug. 1 after her co-workers at the UVA Health Prince William Medical Center called for a welfare check when she didn’t show up at work.
In court, officials said Bhatt initially told police during the Aug. 1 check-up that Kafle went to visit relatives in New York or Texas, and they later learned she had no relatives in those areas. Bhatt also claimed that Kafle destroyed her phone before she went missing, but prosecutors claimed the phone still received data on July 29 until it died on Aug. 1.
On July 30, prosecutors said Bhatt was seen at a Chantilly Walmart buying a pack of three knives, and on July 31, he was seen at a Loudoun County Walmart purchasing cleaning supplies.
Prosecutors also painted a disheveled, chaotic scene inside the home during the investigation; a suitcase was packed and items were missing from hangers. Police added his “passport was available upon entry.”
Officials said Bhatt sold his Tesla vehicle on Aug. 19, and two witnesses told officers that he tried to sell them his home. Bhatt is scheduled to appear at a bond hearing on Monday.
