Bhatt Trial Features Google Searches for Spouse Disappearance

Jurors in Prince William County heard digital evidence on Wednesday that details internet searches made by defendant Naresh Bhatt in March 2024. These inquiries occurred five months before his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, disappeared. The testimony provides a timeline of the defendant's actions during the period when his spouse was last seen.

Katherine Zaimis, a member of the Prince William County Police Digital Forensics Unit, reviewed the recovered Google history. She noted specific queries such as "what happens if a spouse disappears" and "can I divorce if wife lost." The forensic team also identified searches for meat cutters, knife sharpeners, and hand saws. Other searches included melatonin dosing, travel routes from Delhi to Dulles, and vehicle sales at CarMax.

Bhatt faces charges of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body, and defiling a dead body. Police arrested him in August 2024 after discovering bloodstains in the couple's home in Manassas. Investigators also recovered a power saw containing hair fragments. Evidence indicates Bhatt visited several trash disposal facilities, though his wife's body has not been recovered.

The case began when Mamta Kafle Bhatt missed two shifts at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center on August 1, 2024. Co-workers requested a welfare check on August 2. Bhatt told officers he last saw his wife on July 29 and did not believe she was missing. Relatives argued she would not abandon her infant daughter. He filed a missing persons report on August 5, 2024, and police reclassified the case as an involuntary disappearance that same day.

The trial continued Thursday with additional proceedings. The defendant remains in custody while the jury reviews the digital and physical evidence presented by the prosecution.