Breaking News: Husband Arrested, Charged with Concealing a Dead Body in Mamta Kafle Bhatt Case

Update 5:40 p.m.: Naresh Bhatt has been charged with concealing a dead body. It is a felony charge of Prohibition Against Concealment of Dead Body in violation of Section 18.2-323.02 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended. He is being held without bond at the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center.

Manassas Park police are expected to hold a press conference Thursday afternoon to share more details on the case. MPPD has not yet announced if they have found a body in connection with Kafle’s disappearance.

Update 1 p.m. — In a significant development, police arrested Naresh Bhatt, the husband of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, whose disappearance in late July has gripped the Greater Manassas community. The arrest was made around 11 a.m. today, marking a turning point in the investigation.

Witnesses reported seeing police take Bhatt into custody and, separately, a child believed to be the couple’s baby was taken from the home by authorities approximately 20 minutes later. Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth was on the scene following the arrest.

Crime scene investigators were observed removing items that appeared to be rugs from the property, possibly as evidence in the ongoing investigation. However, the atmosphere remains uncertain as officials remain tight-lipped about the details.

Despite the visible actions taken today, Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth has not confirmed the arrest of Naresh Bhatt. Similarly, there is no official confirmation that the child taken by social services is the couple’s baby.

Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo was present during the arrest but did not provide any comments on the unfolding situation.

The community continues to monitor this troubling case closely, and more updates are expected as the investigation progresses.

Update 11:30 a.m. – Naresh Bhatt, 37, was arrested Thursday morning around 10:45 a.m. in the case of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, disappearance in late July. It’s not yet clear what charges have been filed, but he was taken out of their shared home in handcuffs by Manassas Park Police. Their daughter was taken by authorities separately from Bhatt.

Original Post — Police say the husband of a Manassas Park woman not seen since late last month is now a person of interest in the case.

Manassas Park Police Department Chief Mario Lugo held a press briefing Wednesday night after city police and officers from the Prince William County Police Department crime scene analysts were seen searching the home of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a Manassas Park woman last seen by friends on July 28.

“Our investigators have executed over ten search warrants and conducted hundreds of interviews related to this case, including the search tonight,” Lugo said.

Lugo named her husband Naresh Bhatt a person of interest and said he is uncooperative with police. “He is a person of interest. He’s been a person of interest; everybody knows that.” This is the first time police have named Bhatt a person of interest. Up until this press conference, the police said Bhatt was cooperating with investigators and urged the community not to speculate.

Mamta Kafle Bhatt disappeared in late July. Bhatt told police he last saw his wife on July 31, and she last reported to work as a nurse at the UVA Prince William Medical Center in Manassas on July 27.

Police have been searching for her since Aug. 5, when her husband Bhatt first reported her missing. Manassas Park police conducted a welfare check on Aug. 2 when they visited the residence, but Bhatt did not file a missing person report.

Mamta Kafle Bhatt missed her daughter’s first birthday on Tuesday, Aug. 20. At a birthday party hosted by close friends, the father asked that pictures of their child’s face not be posted to social media.

“We’re not going anywhere.”

Some 150 community members huddled behind the press during the press conference outside city police headquarters. Many, like Sundar Sherpa, were agitated after Lugo’s two-minute statement. “We’re not going anywhere,” shouted Sherpa after Lugo abruptly ended the briefing without taking questions. “He calls that a press briefing? He didn’t say anything we don’t already know,” Sherpa said.

“As you can hear, the community is not satisfied with what the police had to say, but I personally appreciate that Chief Lugo came out and updated us to the best of his ability,” Holly Wirth, a fellow nurse and former co-worker of Kafle Bhatt, said.

“For me, it’s a win. In a small group meeting on Sunday, [Chief Lugo] would not say that he had a person of interest. So, to say between Sunday and Wednesday he’s identified [Bhatt] as a person of interest is big progress in the case,” Wirth said.

Unanswered questions

Questions remain as to why it took so long for police to investigate after co-workers reported her missing when she failed to attend a scheduled shift on Aug. 1. Elected officials present during the press conference, like Mayor Jeanette Rishell and City Councilman Michael Carrera, had little to say.

While the mayor stood silent, Carrera said there would be an investigation into how the police handled the case but that he still had “full faith and confidence in both Chief Lugo and the MPPD.”

On the rocks

A screenshot of a Feb. 16 social media post to a divorce support group purported to be by Kafle Bhatt sought advice and help regarding leaving her husband. The post stated her husband threatened to “send the child to custody,” which others in the group understood to mean foster care. Kafle Bhatt was listed as a “top contributor” to the site.

In a statement to the Nepalese language news site enepalise.com, Bhatt said that the couple have been having “strained relations” but were committed to working on it, saying their relationship has been improving since May.

Lugo said he would provide more information when the crime scene analysts submit their findings.

Police urge anyone with information on Kafle Bhatt’s whereabouts to come forward. Those with information are asked to contact Manassas Park police at 703-361-1136. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Solvers at 703-330-0330 or online at manassascrimesolvers.org.