A judge in the US state of Virginia ruled on Monday that Mamta Bhatt's husband should remain in custody without bail because he poses a flight risk after being recently arrested for disposing of a corpse.
Naresh Bhatt appeared in Prince William Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in Manassas, where the judge found the defendant to be a danger to the community. His wife, Mamta, 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 on the couple's Manassas Park home last week after Naresh Bhatt reported them 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 that led police to believe Naresh Bhatt murdered Mamta and attempted to cover up the murder.
Investigators said they found blood mostly in the master bedroom and the adjoining bathroom. They are still waiting for test results to determine if the blood is that of Mamta Bhatt.
“There was evidence in the house that indicated the body was inside the house and was dragged out of the house,” the criminal complaint states.
Naresh Bhatt gave police an inaccurate timeline and continually changed his story after reporting his wife missing, prosecutors said. He told WUSA9 and police he last saw his wife on July 31, but court documents indicated she may have died on July 30.
Prosecutors said the defendant bought three knives on July 30, two of which are still missing. According to court documents, detectives have video footage showing Bhatt buying cleaning supplies the next day.
The defendant also allegedly sold his Tesla and attempted to sell his house the week of his arrest. When investigators entered the house, they found that he had packed everything up and both his passport and that of his young daughter were lying around in plain sight.
Prosecutors added that Bhatt said his wife destroyed her phone before she disappeared, but the phone continued to work until it died on August 1. Her phone's last cellular connection was in Loudoun County. Bhatt allegedly told police he was at a coffee shop in Loudoun County at the time the phone beeped.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 24. Check back later for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Mamta Kafle Bhatt/Facebook]
