A Virginia judge ruled Monday that the husband of Mamta Bhatt will be held without bond, citing him as a flight risk following his recent arrest for disposing of a body.
Naresh Bhatt appeared at the Prince William Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in Manassas, where the judge noted that the defendant poses a danger to the community. His wife, Mamta, a mother of a 10-month-old baby and a pediatric nurse at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, has not been seen in several weeks,
As CrimeOnline previously reported, authorities executed a search warrant at the couple’s Manassas Park home last week after Naresh Bhatt reported her missing on August 5. During the search, police discovered evidence of a body being dragged and large amounts of blood, according to court documents.
Manassas Park Police officer C. Ventura reported that investigators also found digital and forensic evidence, leading police to believe that Naresh Bhatt murdered Mamta and attempted to cover it up.
Investigators said they found blood primarily in the main bedroom and the adjoining bathroom, and are still awaiting test results to determine if the blood is that of Mamta Bhatt.
“There was evidence in the residence indicating the body was inside the residence and dragged out of the residence,” the criminal complaint read.
Naresh Bhatt provided an inaccurate timeline to the police and kept changing his story after reporting his wife missing, prosecutors said. He told WUSA9 and police that he last saw his wife on July 31, but court documents indicated that she may have died on July 30.
Prosecutors stated that on July 30, the defendant purchased three knives, two of which remain unaccounted for. Detectives have security video evidence showing Bhatt buying cleaning supplies the following day, according to court documents.
The defendant also allegedly sold his Tesla the week of his arrest and attempted to sell his home. When investigators were at the house, they found that he had packed up, with both his and his young daughter’s passports in plain sight.
Prosecutors added that Bhatt said his wife destroyed her phone before disappearing, but the phone continued to work until it died on August 1. The last cell tower connection from her phone was in Loudoun County. Bhatt allegedly told police he was at a cafe in Loudoun County around the time the phone pinged.
His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for October 24. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Mamta Kafle Bhatt/Facebook]
