Naresh Bhatt murder trial begins in Virginia

The murder trial of Naresh Bhatt has commenced in Prince William County, Virginia. Bhatt is accused of the murder and dismemberment of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a pediatric nurse who disappeared in July 2024. He faces charges of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body, and defiling a dead body.

During the proceedings, a jury of 12 was seated following a selection process from nearly 170 potential jurors. Witnesses, including a former work supervisor of the victim and a responding police officer, have begun testifying. The defense attempted to introduce evidence regarding a polygraph test, but Judge Kimberly A. Irving ruled the results inadmissible.

Investigators arrested Bhatt in August 2024 after discovering bloodstains in the couple's home and seizing a power saw containing hair fragments. Although authorities have gathered evidence suggesting visits to multiple trash disposal sites, Mamta Kafle Bhatt's body has not yet been recovered. Bhatt has pleaded not guilty and previously declined a plea bargain.