Vigil for Missing Manassas Park Woman Draws Hundreds Demanding Justice

Hundreds of residents gathered at Signal Hill Park on Saturday, August 24, for a vigil to share their thoughts about the missing Manassas Park mother, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, who is believed to have been murdered in her home.

The sound of children playing at the park was poignant as Kafle Bhatt disappeared just weeks before her daughter celebrated her first birthday. Speakers at the event highlighted that Mamta means “loving mother” in her native Nepal.

Initially expected to draw around 200 attendees, the vigil saw an overwhelming turnout of more than 800 people. The crowd was so large that the ceremony had to be paused and moved from inside the Signal Hill Park pavilion to a nearby hill to accommodate the gathering.

The event was organized to raise awareness about the 28-year-old woman, who was last seen in person on July 28, 2024. Her last known activity was posting a video of a religious ceremony on social media on July 29.

The vigil featured a multi-faith ceremony, uniting various religious communities in mourning and support for Kafle Bhatt. A recurring theme among the speakers was the need for women to speak up about domestic violence and seek help as soon as possible.

Virginia Delegate Michelle Maldonado (D) addressed the crowd, announcing her plans to introduce legislation to prevent domestic violence. The proposed bill would pair social workers with police officers responding to domestic violence calls, similar to the co-responder units that some police departments in Virginia use for those in mental health crises. Although Manassas Park, a city of 17,200 people, does not have such a program, neighboring Prince William County’s co-responder program, serving nearly a half-million residents, began in December 2020 and has been well received.

Organizers of the vigil also revealed that two separate crowdfunding efforts have raised over $221,000 for the care and education of Kafle Bhatt’s daughter, affectionately known as “Baby Mamta.” Lawyers have volunteered to set up a trust fund to manage the money, ensuring it goes solely toward the child’s needs.

Efforts are underway to expedite travel documents for Kafle Bhatt’s mother, who lives in Nepal so that she can reunite with her granddaughter in the U.S.

Despite the ever-increasing likelihood that Kafle Bhatt will not be found alive, police have not updated Kafle Bhatt’s status from “missing under involuntary circumstances,” even after her husband, Naresh Bhatt, was indicted on Friday on a felony count of concealing a body. During a brief court hearing, Bhatt heard prosecution evidence against him. The Commonwealth Attorney’s office presented evidence from detectives, who described finding freshly cleaned pools of blood and blood spatter in the master bedroom of the couple’s Manassas Park home.

Detectives reported that there were signs something “had been dragged” between the master bedroom and bathroom. Forensic experts testified that blood-detecting chemicals “lit up” the entire shower floor, indicating a lot of blood had pooled there. The blood samples forensic teams collected have been sent to a lab for identification, which could take several months.

Further testimony revealed that Bhatt had purchased knives and cleaning supplies at a Walmart in Loudoun County. Police have accounted for only one of the knives from a pack of three. Before a search warrant was executed on August 22, detectives said Bhatt sold his months-old Tesla to CarMax. Detectives also found packed suitcases and passports for Bhatt and the couple’s one-year-old daughter, suggesting travel plans.

According to updates from the ” Find Mamta Kafle Bhatt ” Facebook group, volunteer searchers have shifted their focus to Loudoun County and Maryland in light of the evidence presented in court.

Bhatt is scheduled to return to court on Monday for a bond hearing. Supporters of Mamta Kafle Bhatt plan to attend and urge the court to deny Bhatt’s release on bond.