Man accused of wife’s murder and dismemberment takes witness stand

In a criminal case, it is considered risky for a defendant to testify. Naresh Bhatt will eventually face questioning from prosecutors.MANASSAS, Va. (CN) — Naresh Bhatt, who is accused of murdering his wife and dismembering her body, testified Wednesday her demeanor had changed after she gave birth. He said after that, he wasn’t paying much attention to her until she told police he had taken her identification documents.The 39-year-old man remained on the stand throughout the day, answering questions fired by his attorney, Tracey Lenox, chief public defender in Prince William County, Virginia. He is charged with murder, defiling a body and concealing a body in connection with the 2024 disappearance and presumptive murder of Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, last seen during a video call July 29, 2024.It is considered risky for a defendant to testify. Naresh Bhatt will eventually face questioning by prosecutors. At the outset of his testimony, he admitted he had a “mixed kind of feeling — somehow very hopeful, positive, somehow scared, a little nervous.”Despite any nervousness, he offered expansive testimony, often accompanied by hand gestures. He occasionally explained cultural differences between the U.S. and his native Nepal. Although he speaks English, he gave testimony aided by an interpreter to ensure he understood questions.Naresh Bhatt has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His wife’s body was never found, and his legal team argues the prosecution lacks hard evidence. But prosecuting attorneys have spent the first four weeks of the trial building a circumstantial case bolstered by forensic experts who analyzed DNA evidence found in the couple’s Manassas Park home. Friends and family testified that Mamta Bhatt would never have abandoned her infant daughter.Prosecutors have characterized Naresh Bhatt as abusive. During testimony, he described his married life, telling the jury that he handled paperwork. “She depends on me,” he said of his wife.“Did you dictate to her?” Lenox pressed.“Never,” Naresh Bhatt responded.Questioned about arguments between the two, he also said he had “never ever ever” used physical force against his wife, and he described the marriage as “very happy,” during the first two years. He thought his relationship with his in-laws was good, although Mahesh Kafle, Mamta Bhatt’s brother, previously testified he had advised his sister not to marry Naresh Bhatt.Early in the day, Naresh Bhatt reminisced about childhood in Nepal, where he encountered Maoists, whom he said once held him captive and assaulted him.He met Mamta when both were in their 20s and they quickly decided to marry. Lenox showed the jury photos of the young couple early in the relationship — at the beach, making a Tik-Tok video and at a baby shower.Mamta Bhatt’s demeanor changed in the months following the birth of their daughter, Naresh Bhatt said. She was “less active, you know, less enjoying the things we used to enjoy.”He said he wasn’t giving her much attention. But when she called the police to report he had taken her identification documents, he was angry, as he worried that police attention might jeopardize his government job.His testimony covered the time period just before Mamta Bhatt disappeared. Direct examination will continue tomorrow, then Naresh Bhatt faces cross-examination from prosecutors, led by Matthew Sweet, deputy commonwealth’s attorney for Prince William County.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads