KATHMANDU: Naresh Bhatt, the husband of missing Nepali-origin nurse Mamta Kafle, has been found guilty of her murder in the United States.
Following a six-week trial, a court in Virginia convicted Naresh of first-degree murder on Tuesday.
The court also found him guilty of desecrating and concealing a corpse.
During the trial, Naresh claimed that he found Mamta dead in their bedroom and only disposed of the body. However, prosecutors urged the jury to reject his claims as baseless.
Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the Prince William County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Virginia Sarah Sami stated that the defendant murdered Mamta, dismembered her body, and threw her remains in a garbage disposal site.
“The defendant murdered Mamta Kafle, dismembered her body, and threw her away like trash,” Sami said. She added, “He made a landfill in Luray, Virginia, Mamta’s final resting place. For her grieving family, Mamta will always remain missing. She is no longer alive, yet she remains missing because the family will never be able to hold a funeral or final rites for her. Her remains lie crushed somewhere beneath a pile of trash. This is the reality the family must now live with.”
Under the law, a first-degree murder conviction carries a sentence ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment.
In addition, each charge of concealing and desecrating a corpse carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.
The court will determine his final sentencing in March.
When the verdict was announced, Mamta’s friends and members of the local Nepali community gathered outside the courthouse to welcome the decision.
