KATHMANDU: A US court has delivered a historic verdict in the case of the murder and disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt after a month-long hearing. A jury in the Prince William County Court of Virginia has convicted Mamata’s husband Naresh Bhatt of serious crimes, including first-degree murder (felony murder) for the murder of his wife.
The jury also convicted Naresh Bhatt of murdering his wife Mamta, hiding her dead body and defaming it of two other charges.
During the hearing, the accused, Naresh Bhatt, gave a statement in the court and claimed that Mamata had committed suicide. He had said that he had cut the body into pieces with a saw and threw it away when he was found dead in the house. However, the scientific evidence (forensic DNA), footage from road cameras of the road and house, digital search history and phone records presented by the prosecution completely refuted his claim.
The prosecution had proved that Naresh had systematically murdered Mamata and hid pieces of the corpse in garbage bags at various locations in Northern Virginia. Mamta’s body has not been found yet.
With this decision of the court, there is a legal provision that Naresh Bhatt can be sentenced to 20 years to life imprisonment, while another 5-5 years can be sentenced for hiding and insulting the dead body. His sentence will be fixed on March 12 and the court has also revoked his bail and sent him to jail.
Mamata’s elder brother Mahesh Kafle and other family members have said that this justice will bring peace to Mamata’s soul and the truth will prevail. The prosecution has also said that the victim’s family has got justice after more than two years of pain and uncertainty.
