An Indian-origin man accused of murdering his wife in the United States has told a Virginia court that he cut up her body after discovering her dead at their home, claiming she had taken her own life by consuming pills and a highly toxic insecticide.
Naresh Bhatt, who is facing charges in connection with the disappearance and presumed murder of his 28-year-old wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, testified that he found her unconscious beside their bed in the early hours of July 30, 2024. He claimed that despite attempting to revive her, she had already died.
Bhatt is charged with first-degree murder, concealing a dead body and defiling a dead body. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His testimony comes more than two years after Mamta disappeared, with her body yet to be recovered.
According to a report by WUSA (Channel 9), Bhatt told the court that he had performed CPR and attempted other life-saving measures before deciding to dispose of her body. He also admitted to using a saw to cut her body into pieces, claiming that he was unable to complete the dismemberment.
When questioned about why he did not contact emergency services after finding his wife unconscious, Bhatt struggled to explain his actions.
“I don’t know why I did not. I tried to call. I was really scared… something took over me. I was really, really panicked,” he told the court.
Bhatt recounts finding wife dead
Recounting the events leading up to his wife’s disappearance, Bhatt said he went to bed at around 8 PM on July 29, 2024, with the couple’s infant daughter. He claimed he did not hear Mamta come upstairs that night.
According to his testimony, he woke up at approximately 4 AM the following morning to use the bathroom when he found his wife lying on her back at the foot of their bed. He claimed she was surrounded by vomit containing pills, while a packet of Celphos, a highly poisonous insecticide, was lying nearby.
Bhatt told the court that he spent nearly an hour attempting to resuscitate her. When he realised she was dead, he carried her body to the bathroom.
He then allegedly began contemplating how to dispose of the body and take his own life.
Bhatt testified that his initial plan was to throw his wife’s body into the Potomac River. However, he subsequently went to a Home Depot store to purchase materials that could help him conceal the body.
He also claimed that he considered hanging himself and even purchased a wire cable and other materials for the purpose, but eventually abandoned the plan.
“I get the wire cable, all those stuff, and then I did not do that,” he told the court.
Admits using saw to dismember wife’s body
Bhatt further testified that he initially intended to place Mamta’s entire body in a garbage container. However, when it failed to fit, he decided to use a saw to cut it into smaller pieces.
Describing his actions in the bathroom, he said he attempted to separate her legs from the rest of her body but could not complete the process.
“Mentally and physically I was powerless… I was unable to do that,” Bhatt said when asked why he stopped.
He admitted to placing his wife’s remains in multiple garbage bags before disposing of them in the trash, allegedly to prevent anyone from discovering them.
The prosecution’s case has previously highlighted forensic evidence recovered from the couple’s home, including bloodstains in the bedroom and bathroom. Investigators also recovered a power saw containing hair fragments.
Mamta’s disappearance and Bhatt’s arrest
Mamta was last seen during a video call on July 29, 2024. Her disappearance came to light on August 5, when she failed to report for work.
Bhatt initially told investigators that he did not believe his wife was missing before eventually filing a missing-person report.
He was arrested on August 22, 2024, after investigators discovered evidence inside the couple’s home that raised suspicions about his account.
The case has since attracted considerable attention, particularly because Mamta’s body has never been found.
Murder charge carries potential life sentence
Bhatt’s testimony comes five weeks into the trial and could prove significant in determining the outcome of the case.
Of the three charges against him, first-degree murder is the most serious and carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment. The charges of concealing and defiling a dead body carry maximum prison terms of five years each.
While Bhatt has admitted to dismembering and disposing of his wife’s body, his account that Mamta died by suicide remains his claim and does not, by itself, establish the circumstances of her death.
The central question before the court remains whether prosecutors can establish that Bhatt murdered his wife, as alleged, or whether his version of events can create reasonable doubt.
