A trial date for the husband of missing Virginia woman Mamet Byatt has been set for December 9 in Prince William County.
Naresh Bhatt has been jailed without bond since his August 22 arrest. His attorney waived a grand jury hearing this month to speed up the trial process. His wife, Mamt Bhatt, 28, has been missing since late July, and Manassas Park Police believe she is dead.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Naresh Bhatt is suspected of his wife’s death, but he’s currently facing only a charge of concealing a body. The defense argued that prosecutors lack crucial evidence—Mamta’s remains.
Police executed a search warrant at the couple’s home in August after Naresh Bhatt reported her missing on August 5. During the search, police discovered evidence of a body being dragged and large amounts of blood, according to court documents.
Manassas Park Police officer C. Ventura reported that investigators also found digital and forensic evidence, leading police to believe that Naresh Bhatt murdered Mamta and attempted to cover it up.
Investigators said they found blood primarily in the main bedroom and the adjoining bathroom, and are still awaiting test results to determine if the blood is that of Mamta Bhatt.
On Friday, the suspect’s public defender claimed that Mamta is alive and asked investigators to question her coworker and the driver who picked her up and why she left. CBS 9 reports.
Meanwhile, Mamta’s loved ones said they were angered by the defense’s claim that she voluntarily left her toddler daughter.
“No mother would leave the child behind on their first birthday,” friend Prabha Deuja said. “There was no phone call came in. That’s what we were waiting for. That didn’t happen.”
The judge denied the defense access to the couple’s cell phone data from and GPS records from Naresh Bhatt’s vehicle. The judge also ruled that prosecutors are not required to provide the police reports.
Anyone with information about the case should contact Manassas Park Police.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Mamta Kafle Bhatt/Facebook]
