US jury finds Naresh Bhatt guilty of murdering wife Mamta Kafle

Editor’s note: This story contains graphic details, including descriptions of a death and the dismemberment of a body. Some readers may find it distressing. A jury in the US state of Virginia on Tuesday found Naresh Bhatt guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, rejecting his claim that she died by suicide.

The jury also convicted Bhatt, 39, of concealing and defiling his wife’s body, bringing an end to a trial that began following Mamta’s disappearance in July 2024, CNN reported. Her remains have never been found. According to CNN, Bhatt testified last week that he found Mamta unconscious on the floor of their bedroom on July 30, 2024.

He said he tried to revive her for 45 minutes to an hour but failed. He claimed he panicked and, fearing that he would be blamed for her death, dismembered her body using a saw and disposed of the remains in rubbish bags. Bhatt denied killing his wife, maintaining that she had died by suicide.