America. Nepali origin Mamta Kafle Bhatt's murder accused husband Naresh Bhatt has been convicted by a Virginia court in the United States. After the hearing held on Tuesday in the Prince William County court, the jury convicted Naresh on charges of first-degree murder, concealing and destroying a body, and disfiguring a dead body. The jury announced the verdict at 5 PM local time after deliberating for about five hours. Following the verdict, Naresh has been denied bail until sentencing. His sentencing is scheduled for March 2027. After the verdict, Commonwealth prosecutor Amy Ashworth stated that the verdict against Naresh, who ended Mamta's life, fulfills an important aspect of justice. She mentioned that Mamta's family has endured pain and uncertainty for over two years. During Tuesday's hearing, the prosecution presented toxicology expert Dr. Abigail Cairns and Naresh's former roommate Akash Rachal as witnesses for the defense. Expert Cairns testified in court about the effects of aluminum phosphide in the agricultural pesticide Selfos, which was allegedly used by Mamta for suicide. According to her, phosphine gas is produced when this substance enters the body. It can cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting, heart problems, and difficulty breathing. She stated that in severe cases, death can occur within a few hours of ingesting the poison. Naresh's former roommate Akash Rachal testified about a dispute that occurred in 2021 when he was living with them. According to him, during the dispute, Naresh threatened him and his wife by pulling out a gun. Similarly, Mamta's close friend and colleague Sunita Basnet Thapa testified that Mamta was not the type to commit suicide and never expressed any desire to do so. She mentioned seeing injuries on Mamta's face in December 2023. The prosecution stated that they presented about 100 witnesses and nearly 500 pieces of evidence in the case. However, the defense argued that the prosecution failed to prove the charges and asserted that Naresh's statement in court was true. Naresh had been claiming that Mamta committed suicide. The search for Mamta and the investigation into the incident began after she went missing in 2024. Naresh was accused of murdering his wife and concealing her body, among other charges.
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