I used saw: Indian-origin man in US admits chopping wife's body, denies killing her

Naresh Bhatt told a Virginia court that his wife Mamta died by suicide before he tried to conceal her body. His testimony challenges the prosecution's circumstantial murder case despite his admission of an attempted dismemberment.He told the court that he attempted to resuscitate Mamta for about an hour before moving her to the bathroom. (Photo: X/@fox5dc)An Indian-origin man accused of murdering his wife and dismembering her body has told a Virginia court that she died by suicide, claiming he found her unconscious beside their bed after she had apparently consumed pills and a highly poisonous insecticide.Naresh Bhatt, 39, gave the account while testifying in his own defence in the trial over the disappearance of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28. Mamta was last seen in July 2024 and her body has never been found.Bhatt is charged with first-degree murder, concealing a dead body and defiling a dead body. He has pleaded not guilty. His testimony marks the first time he has publicly given his account of what happened inside the couple's home in Manassas Park, Virginia, in the early hours of July 30, 2024.Naresh Bhatt testified that he used a saw to cut Mamta Kafle Bhatt's body apart and placed her remains in trash bags. When asked whether he did it so her body would not be found, Bhatt answered, “Yes.” MORE: https://t.co/wJcspb6Ivh https://t.co/Gyea2Pw9f0— 7News DC (@7NewsDC) November 5, 2026BHATT SAYS HE FOUND WIFE UNCONSCIOUSAccording to WUSA, Bhatt told the court that he went to bed at about 8 pm on July 29 with the couple's infant daughter. He said he did not hear Mamta come upstairs. Bhatt said he woke at around 4 am to use the bathroom and noticed a strange smell. When he returned towards the bedroom, he claimed he found Mamta lying on her back at the foot of the bed. Ingested pills were found in the vomit surrounding her, Bhatt said, while an open packet of Celphos, which is a highly poisonous insecticide, lay nearby.WHY DID HE NOT CALL POLICE?Asked why he did not immediately call 911, Bhatt replied: "I don't know why I did not. I tried to call. I was really scared. I don't know why, something take over me. I was really, really panicked. I don't know." He told the court that he attempted to resuscitate Mamta for about an hour before moving her to the bathroom. He said that once he realised she was dead, he became fearful and began thinking about how to hide her body.That decision is likely to be a central issue for prosecutors as the trial progresses. Rather than reporting the death, Bhatt said he began considering ways to dispose of the body. He testified that he initially thought about throwing it into the Potomac River. He first took the couple's young daughter to a babysitter's apartment and then went to Home Depot. His stated purpose was blunt."To find anything to hide a body," Bhatt told the court.He also claimed that, after returning home, he considered taking his own life. "I get the wire cable, all those stuff, and then I did not do that," he said.Later that day, Bhatt said he decided to place Mamta's body in the dustbin instead. But he claimed her entire body would not fit.That led to another crucial part of his testimony.MAN ADMITS TRYING TO DISMEMBER BODYWhen questioned by his defence lawyer, Tracey Lenox, Bhatt acknowledged that he had attempted to cut his wife’s body."Trying to lower her body apart...separate the legs from the body," he said. But Bhatt said he was unable to complete the attempt."Mentally and physically I was powerless," he said, explaining why he stopped. "I was unable to do that."According to WUSA, Bhatt said the attempted dismemberment took place in the family bathroom. That detail is significant because the bathroom has featured prominently in the prosecution's case.Investigators reportedly found areas that reacted to Bluestar, a chemical used to detect traces of blood that may have been cleaned. Reactions were reported on parts of the tiled floor near the bathtub, inside the shower area and on a wall close to the bedroom door.PROSECUTION HAS BUILT A CIRCUMSTANTIAL CASEBhatt's testimony comes after prosecutors spent weeks presenting evidence against him. According to Courthouse News Service, prosecutors have relied heavily on forensic evidence, including DNA findings from the couple’s Manassas Park home, as well as testimony from friends and relatives.Several witnesses told the court that they did not believe Mamta would willingly leave her infant daughter behind. Prosecutors have also portrayed the relationship as troubled and have accused Bhatt of abusive behaviour, allegations he has denied.Mamta was last seen during a video call on July 29, 2024. She was 28 and had a young daughter with Bhatt.More than two years later, investigators have still not recovered her body. That absence has become a defining feature of the prosecution's case and the defence strategy. Bhatt's lawyers have argued that prosecutors lack direct evidence proving that he killed Mamta.The prosecution, meanwhile, has sought to build a case from the physical evidence recovered from the home, witness accounts and what investigators say happened after Mamta disappeared.Bhatt was born in New Delhi and told the court that he lived there with his parents and uncle for more than two years before his family moved back to Nepal. He also spoke about his childhood in Nepal and said he had encountered Maoists who once held and assaulted him.- Ends