“I used the saw”: Indian-origin husband accepts dismembering his wife’s body but denies killing her in a bombshell testimony at Virginia court

THE HORRIFIC CASE of an Indian-origin man allegedly killing his own wife and dismembering her body in the United States has taken a new turn after the husband’s shocking testimony in court. 39-year-old Naresh Bhatt testified in the Virginia court on November 5, 2026, that his wife Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, died by suicide after consuming pills and a highly poisonous insecticide. 

Mamta was last seen on July 29, 2024, with her body still being reported as missing. Her husband, Naresh Bhatt was arrested on August 22, 2024, after the police officers found blood stains in the couple’s home along with a power saw with hair fragments during their investigation. In his bone-chilling testimony recorded five weeks into his trial in the US, Bhatt pleaded not guilty and claimed he disposed of his wife’s body after finding her already unconscious beside their bed. 

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Naresh Bhatt claims he dismembered his wife after finding her dead

In the second day of his testimony, on Thursday, November 5, 2026, Bhatt claimed that he went to bed at 8 p.m. on the night that Mamta was last seen on July 29, 2024. He claimed to then wake up at 4 a.m. to use the bathroom in the morning and noticed a strange smell. It was only when he returned to the bedroom he found Mamta lying at the foot of the bed unconscious. She was allegedly surrounded by her vomit with traces of ingested pills in them, according to Bhatt. He allegedly also found an open packet of Celphos — a highly poisonous insecticide — lying near her.

The 39-year-old accused claimed that his infant daughter was still sleeping on the bed as he found her wife dead at the scene. He told the court that he tried to resuscitate Mamta for about 45 minutes before moving her body to the bathroom. Once realizing that she is dead, Naresh panicked and started finding ways to dispose of her body.

Why he didn’t call 911

When questioned by his defence lawyer, Tracy Lenox, on why he did not call the emergency helpline 911, Bhatt said that he got scared by the sight and didn’t know how to react. “I tried to call. I was really scared. I don’t know why, something took over me. I was really, really panicked. I don’t know,” he said.

Later, in his testimony, Naresh said that he took his young daughter to the babysitter and then went to Home depot to “find anything to hide a body.” He even considered taking his own life and bought equipment for that purpose as well, including a wire cable. However, he did not do that. Bhatt accepted that when he returned home he had attempted to cut his wife’s body after considering other means to hide it, including throwing her into the Potomac River. However, at first he couldn’t bring himself to do that.

See Also: Indian-Origin Family Murdered in Massachusetts, USA: 17-Year-Old Arjun Aravind Arrested After Mother and Brother Found Dead

“Mentally and physically I was powerless. I was unable to do that,” Naresh told the court about dismembering his wife. He stated that he wanted to dispose of the body in the dustbin but the body as a whole wouldn’t fit there. When asked how he did it, he replied, “I had the saw. I used the saw.” According to his reported testimony, the alleged dismemberment took place in the bathroom, which the investigating officers have recorded to have found blood stains there.

Since the start of the trial at the Prince William County Circuit Court on October 5, 2026, the prosecution have built a circumstantial case against Naresh, providing evidence against him for weeks. They relied heavily on forensic evidence and witness testimonies, denying the claim that Mamta would willingly leave her infant daughter. The case has taken a shocking turn with Naresh accepting to dismember wife’s body parts but denying the charges of murder in the court. 

_[Rh/HP]

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