Highlights:
An Indian-origin man accused of murdering his wife has described in court how he allegedly cut up her body with a saw, placed it in multiple trash bags and threw it away. His testimony has shocked the courtroom, while his wife's remains have not been found more than two years after her disappearance.
Naresh Bhatt, who is facing charges in connection with the 2024 disappearance and presumed murder of his 28-year-old wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, testified that she died by suicide. He claimed he found her unconscious beside their bed, surrounded by vomit containing pills, with a packet of the highly poisonous insecticide Celphos nearby.
Bhatt pleaded not guilty to the charges of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body and defiling a dead body. He told the court that he attempted CPR and other life-saving measures for about an hour but was unable to revive her.
According to his testimony, he then carried Mamta's body to the bathroom. Rather than calling emergency services, he said he panicked and decided to hide her body before taking his own life.
When asked why he did not call 911, Bhatt told the court: “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 said his first thought was to throw her body into the Potomac River. He later went to Home Depot, claiming he was looking for something that could help him conceal the body. He also told the court that he considered hanging himself but did not go through with it.
Bhatt said he initially tried to put Mamta's body into the trash, but it would not fit. He then used a saw in the family bathroom in an attempt to cut it into smaller pieces.
“Trying to lower her body apart... separate the legs from the body,” he said while describing what he had done.
He claimed he was unable to complete the dismemberment. “Mentally and physically I was powerless...I was unable to do that,” he told the court.
Bhatt admitted that he placed Mamta's body in multiple trash bags and discarded them so that it would not be found. Her remains have not been recovered.
The disappearance and investigation
Mamta was last seen during a video call on July 29, 2024. She was reported missing on August 5 after failing to turn up for work.
Bhatt initially told police that he did not believe his wife was missing, before filing a missing-person report. He was arrested on August 22, 2024, after investigators found bloodstains in the couple's bedroom and bathroom. Police also discovered a power saw with hair fragments during the investigation.
His testimony comes five weeks into the trial. The case involves three charges, with first-degree murder carrying a possible life sentence. The charges of concealing and defiling a dead body each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Bhatt's account is his version of events and his claims about Mamta's death have not been established as fact in court.
