Former US Attorney weighs in on Mamta Kafle Bhatt case, husband heads back to court

MANASSAS, Va. ( DC News Now ) — The husband of missing Manassas Park mother Mamta Kafle Bhatt is expected back in court again Thursday, after his defense team filed a motion to advance and waive a preliminary hearing in the case.

It will be Naresh Bhatt’s third court appearance since his arrest last Thursday on charges of concealment of a dead body. His wife has been missing for more than a month now .

Mamta’s mother and brother arrived in the U.S. from Nepal to help care for Mamta’s 1-year-old baby girl on Tuesday, an immigration attorney working with the family confirmed to DC News Now.

The clock is ticking for police and prosecutors ahead of Bhatt’s next hearing Thursday. On Tuesday, officers and crime scene investigators executed another search warrant at their Heather Court home. Investigators could be seen carrying out more boxes and crates.

Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo is staying tight-lipped about what they found.

In an interview with DC News Now on Tuesday evening, he said, “I can’t tell you what we were looking for. It’s part of the investigation. But, we accomplished what we went in there to do today.”

Their hours-long search warrant a week ago led to Naresh Bhatt’s arrest. He faces charges for concealing a dead body – but no body has been found.

DC News Now’s Randi Bass talked with former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia John Fishwick about the ins and outs of a case like this.

“It’s an uncommon charge that’s been brought against Mr. Bhatt, but I think it’s a smart move on behalf of the Commonwealth’s Attorney,” said Fishwick. “They wanna make sure no evidence is destroyed, and if he has killed his wife and hid her body, that he doesn’t move her again.”

The public defender representing Naresh Bhatt filed a motion to advance and waive a preliminary hearing that was set for October. Now, there’s a new court hearing this Thursday to handle the matter. Fishwick says it’s likely all part of the defense team’s strategy.

“I think the effort is to get his client out on bond, the effort is to say, ‘you don’t have a body, the case should be dismissed. He should be freed.’ I think that’s going to be a challenge. I think a judge will be unlikely to do that,” said Fishwick.

As for what’s next for police, Chief Lugo said the search is far from over.

“We’re still looking for Mamta, and any other evidence we find in the case. It’s ongoing. It doesn’t end with the arrest,” he said.

Supporters of Mamta and her one-year-old daughter posted in Facebook groups Wednesday saying they’ll be back in the courtroom at 9 a.m. for Thursday’s hearing.

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