A Northern Virginia community gathered in mourning Thursday night after the husband of a missing mother and nurse was arrested earlier in the day on charges of concealing a dead body.
The search for 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt continues three weeks after she was last seen on July 31. At a candlelight vigil outside her Manassas Park home, friends turned their attention to her young daughter, who turned one earlier this week.
Bhatt was originally from Nepal and her supporters from the Nepali community listened to a recording of the so-called peace mantra, chanted 108 times to align Bhatt’s spirit with eternity.
Hours earlier, her husband Naresh Bhatt was led out of the house in handcuffs. Shortly afterwards, a police officer carried the couple’s daughter out of the house.
Friends have started a fundraiser to get the baby out of foster care by bringing Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s mother from Nepal to care for the child.
“I’m happy to announce that we have set up a GoFundMe campaign,” said friend Holly Wirth. “It’s called ‘Justice for Mamta.’ We are raising money that will be put into a special trust account to provide for her daughter.”
The girl is in the care of the social welfare office, authorities said.
Friends say they will also launch an initiative to help victims of domestic violence.
“It’s better that you live happily than that you die like this one day,” said friend Bina Khatkalama. “You know… we don’t want Mamta anymore.”
They have planned an event in memory of Mamta Kafle Bhatt for Saturday at Signal Hill Park.
Husband is said to have hidden the body; search continues
The charges against Naresh Bhatt mean that police have evidence that a body was hidden, not necessarily that a body was found.
Prosecutor Amy Ashworth spoke briefly with reporters outside the family’s home on Thursday afternoon.
“Is she alive?” asked News4.
“We don’t know! We don’t know! But we are working on this investigation. We are working diligently and a lot of things are moving very quickly right now,” Ashworth said. More information is expected later Thursday.
During a search on Wednesday, “investigators obtained additional evidence,” prosecutors and police said in a statement on Thursday, but it did not provide details about what they found or what they were pointing to.
“The Manassas Park Police Department is still investigating the disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt and hopes to locate her,” the statement said.
“Further investigative avenues are being actively pursued, which may lead to the filing of further charges,” it continued.
Naresh Bhatt was held without bail and is due to appear in court on Friday. It was not immediately clear whether he has a lawyer.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt missing for more than three weeks
According to a police timeline, Mamta Kafle Bhatt reported to work as a pediatric nurse at UVA Prince William Medical Center on July 27. She spoke with a friend on July 28 and was last seen by her husband at home on July 31, police said.
Her co-workers requested a welfare check on August 2 after she failed to show up for work. Officers went to her home and spoke with her husband, who gave them more information at that point and said he did not want to report her missing.
Three days later, he contacted the police and reported her missing.
Her disappearance was not declared involuntary until August 8. The speed with which she disappeared frustrated her friends.
According to Manassas Park police, no activity has been detected on the missing woman’s credit cards, bank statements or phone since her disappearance.
As her daughter turned one this week, her friends saw an opportunity to reignite interest in her disappearance. Some met with the police chief on Monday and said their friend’s disappearance was not her own doing.
Police executed a search warrant at the couple’s home Wednesday night. The home was surrounded by a heavy police presence. Forensic investigators were at the family’s home on a cul-de-sac, taking photos of what appeared to be the master bedroom on the second floor.
Police have conducted hundreds of interviews and received hundreds of tips, said Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo.
The mood in the crowd at Wednesday evening’s press conference was heated, with friends of Mamta Kafle Bhatt and members of the Nepali community frustrated by what they see as a lack of information.
Lugo made his statement and then wanted to leave, but returned to the podium amid the loud questions that people shouted at him. Only then did he respond that her husband was a person of interest and was not cooperating.
Mamta Kafle Bhatt is 5′ 0″ tall and weighs about 130 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact Manassas Park Police.
