Indian-origin man charged in US with murder of wife googled when he could get married again

A 37-year-old man of Indian origin has been charged with murder in the US four months after his wife disappeared. According to court documents, Naresh Bhatt googled “how long does it take to get married after spouse dies” months before his wife Mamta Kafle Bhatt disappeared.

Mamta Kafle Bhatt was a 28-year-old nurse and mother of a young daughter.

Naresh Bhatt, a resident of Manassas Park, Virginia, also faces charges of defilement and concealment of a corpse, according to Prince William County court records.

Bhatt, a former Fairfax County police recruit and U.S. Army Reserve logistics specialist, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday to be formally charged.

Bhatt was arrested on August 22 and was denied bail in September.

Authorities confirmed Monday night that DNA testing showed blood found in the couple’s home belonged to Mamta, supporting investigators’ belief that she was killed on July 29.

During a search of the couple’s apartment, investigators discovered significant evidence. Blood pools and splatters were found in the master bedroom, as well as pink stains on the carpet. More blood was discovered in the bathroom, suggesting something had been “dragged across the floor.”

The investigators found that out too Bhatt had purchased knives at Walmart the day he allegedly killed his wife.

Additionally, in the days following his wife’s disappearance, Bhatt was caught on surveillance video disposing of trash bags in dumpsters and trash compactors, CNN reported.

“From the beginning, we believed she was murdered … based on the crime scene,” Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo said during a news conference, CNN reported. He added that evidence suggests her body was dismembered. “I think we have a strong case.”

Mamta, a popular member of the Nepali community, was last seen July 27 at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center in Manassas, where she worked as a nurse.

Mamta worked two days a week at the hospital and was scheduled to work on August 1st and 2nd.

Colleagues raised concerns after she missed her shifts at the hospital on August 1 and 2, prompting police to conduct a wellness check at the couple’s home on August 2.

At that time, Bhatt refused to report his wife missing. Three days later, on August 5, he officially reported her disappearance and claimed he last saw her at dinner on July 31.

Bhatt was arrested on August 22 after a house search. He has been held without bail since September after a judge denied his release.