Naresh Bhatt convicted of murder in wife’s death

A Virginia jury found Naresh Bhatt guilty of first-degree murder and two charges involving his wife’s body, which has not been found. The jury also convicted him of concealing a dead body and defiling a dead body, rejecting his testimony that Mamta Kafle Bhatt died by suicide. The judge revoked Bhatt’s bond after the verdict. His sentencing is scheduled for March 12, 2027.

The verdict followed a six-week trial in which prosecutors presented forensic evidence, surveillance footage, phone and vehicle records, and digital searches. Prosecutors argued Bhatt killed his wife and disposed of her remains. Bhatt, 39, denied killing her, but testified that he dismembered and disposed of her body after finding her unresponsive and being unable to revive her.

Investigators found reddish-brown stains and hairlike strands on a power saw. DNA testing found samples from the saw consistent with Mamta’s DNA profile, according to trial reporting. Prosecutors also presented surveillance footage showing Bhatt purchasing rubbish bags and cleaning supplies, and records tracing visits to disposal sites. Digital evidence included searches about what happens when a spouse disappears.