For Mamta Kafle’s family, a guilty verdict is not enough

Naresh Bhatt showed little emotion as the guilty verdict was read in court. He briefly spoke with his lawyer. Outside, relatives and friends of his wife, Mamta Kafle, embraced each other, some in tears. One thanked the prosecutor. After two years of waiting, they had finally had a measure of closure.

But for Mamta’s family, justice remains incomplete. Her body has never been found, her daughter is growing up without her mother, and the questions surrounding her death remain unanswered. On Tuesday, a jury in Prince William County Circuit Court in Virginia, US, found Bhatt, 39, guilty of first-degree murder, the CNN reported . It rejected his claim that Kafle had died by suicide. He was also convicted of concealing and defiling her body.

The judge revoked his bond. Prosecutors built their case on circumstantial evidence, despite having no body, autopsy, or established cause of death. They presented a power saw containing DNA consistent with Kafle’s blood, which was found on the bedroom carpet. Store surveillance footage showed Bhatt buying trash bags and cleaning supplies.