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Manassas Park Police are asking anyone who spoke with her husband between July 28 and August 5 to contact them.
MANASSAS PARK, Va. — It has been more than a month since Mamta Kafle Bhatt, a mother and nurse was last seen. Her husband, Naresh Bhatt, 37, remains in custody while awaiting trial. He's facing a single charge of concealing a body.
Investigators believe Naresh Bhatt killed his wife, but he has not been charged with murder, nor has her body been found.
According to court documents, investigators believe Naresh Bhatt killed his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, in late July and dragged her body outside their Manassas Park home.
"I don't believe Mamta is still alive," Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo told WUSA9 in an interview on Thursday.
"There's no evidence that proves that yet, but obviously, we're still searching," said Chief Lugo.
On Tuesday, the Manassas Park Police Department posted on Facebook a request for anyone who had contact with or spoke to Naresh Bhatt between July 28, 2024, and August 5, 2024, to please contact the Manassas Park Police Department at (703) 361-1136.
They wrote that they "recently had an individual come forward with information that was helpful in the case".
Press Release September 10, 2024 Mamta Kafle case The Manassas Park Police Department continues to receive tips...
Posted by City of Manassas Park Police Department on Tuesday, September 10, 2024This post comes less than a week after a Judge granted a motion presented by the defense, to waive Naresh Bhatt's right to a grand jury.
He is due back in court for another hearing on Sept. 13.
As Thursday's court hearing was wrapping up, investigators searched the area surrounding Manassas Christian School, Camp Carondelet, and a portion of Blooms Park.
"We conducted several searches. We started at Manassas Christian. We went to Blooms Park and another wooded area behind the residence. They didn't locate any evidence," explained Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo, in an interview with WUSA9 Thursday.
Chief Lugo told WUSA9 that these particular locations were chosen based on the tips and leads they've received.
"We continue to get leads and tips from people, but also the records that we requested and subpoenaed for are starting to come in so now we are following those tracks and figuring out where to search next," said Chief Lugo. "You're gonna start seeing more of these sporadic searches going on".
He told WUSA9 that they did find "something" in last week's search of Signal Hill Park.
"So at Signal Hill Park, we did locate some stuff. We don't know if it's related. We collected it anyway. We sent it off to the lab to verify if it's connected. So, that was the only thing we located at Signal Hill Park. That was more on the backside of Signal Hill Park not necessarily where the parks and ball fields are at," said Chief Lugo.
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