Missing Wife Mamta Khafle Bhatt 'Still Alive,' Husband's Attorney Claims: Report

MANASSAS PARK, VA — A defense attorney for the husband of missing Manassas Park mother Mamta Kafle Bhatt claimed she is still alive at a Friday hearing, during which a judge also ordered prosecutors to turn over video showing Kafle Bhatt leaving her job days before she was last seen, according to a report.

Kafle Bhatt's husband, Naresh Bhatt, was arrested on Aug. 22 and charged with concealing a dead body weeks after his wife disappeared. Bhatt reported her missing on Aug. 5 and claimed to have last seen her on July 31.

On Friday, Circuit Court Judge Carroll Weimer Jr. ordered prosecutors to provide defense attorneys with video from July 27 that shows Kafle Bhatt getting into an unidentified vehicle at the end of her shift at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, WTOP reported.

“Our claim is she’s still alive,” Bhatt's public defender, Shalev Ben-Avraham, told the judge. "Maybe that person (driving the car) is involved."

Prosecutors argued against the release, saying Bhatt is charged only with concealing a body, WTOP reported. Prosecutors also accused Ben-Avraham of engaging in a "fishing exhibition" to learn what evidence prosecutors have.

Kafle Bhatt, 28, a registered nurse, was last seen at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center on July 27. Her friend, Nadia Navarro, heard from her on July 28. Police did a welfare check on Aug. 2, but Bhatt declined to report his wife as missing.

Bhatt reported her as a missing person on Aug. 5 and claimed to have last seen her on July 31.

Bhatt, 37, was arrested following an hours-long search of their Manassas Park home.

According to an InsideNoVA report, prosecutors said blood was found in the couple's bedroom and it appeared that someone may have been "dragged" across the floor. Prosecutors also presented evidence showing Bhatt purchased three knives on July 30, two of which were not found when the home was searched.

He was also seen on camera buying cleaning supplies at a Loudoun County Walmart on July 31, the report said.

Additionally, authorities found a packed suitcase in the home and Bhatt reportedly sold his Tesla and attempted to sell his house in recent weeks, InsideNoVA reported.

In August, a judge denied bond for Bhatt, deeming him a "flight risk" and danger to the community. Last week, a judge also granted Bhatt a trial without a jury that could proceed in months, NBC Washington reported.

Kafle Bhatt is presumed dead, police said, and authorities have since searched for her remains at several locations.

Police said they have continued to receive tips regarding the case and are seeking individuals with information who have not been interviewed or contacted by detectives already. Manassas Park police can be reached by phone at 703-361-1136.