This large and emotionally-touching memorial is to honor and mourn Mamta Kafle Bhatt
From InsideNova: Naresh Bhatt has been charged with concealing a dead body in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Ashworth said... Weeks after Mamta Kafle Bhatt was last seen, Manassas Park police on Thursday morning arrested her husband and took away the couple's 1-year-old daughter, who had been in his care. During last night's search, Ashworth said police "obtained additional evidence." "After consultation with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, detectives arrested Naresh Datt Bhatt in connection with her disappearance," Ashworth said in a release. Mamta’s daughter was placed in the care of the Department of Social Services. "The child is safe and being cared for by an appropriate care giver approved by the Department of Social Services and Manassas Park Police Department," the release said. Ashworth said authorities are pursuing additional leads that "may result in additional charges being brought." Mamta Kafle Bhatt has not been located...
Bhatt was held without bond at the jail. He will be arraigned in Prince William Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. The arrest follows three weeks of searching for the 28-year-old pediatric nurse and first-time mother, who was last seen in late July. Police were called to the couple's home on Heather Court on Aug. 2 for a welfare check when Mamta Bhatt did not show for her shift at UVA Prince William Medical Center in Manassas. At the time, Naresh Bhatt did not want to report his wife missing, police said. Bhatt's family and friends last heard from her on July 28. Friends, family and the Nepalese community rallied in the aftermath of her disappearance, organizing searches, handing out flyers and keeping pressure on police.
Bhatt's daughter, who turned 1 on Tuesday, was carried out of the house by someone who appeared to be a police detective... Nadia Navarro, a close friend and former roommate of Bhatt's who spearheaded community efforts to find her, said Thursday morning on Facebook she would do everything she can to keep the baby out of foster care. Ivy Freeman, a neighbor of the Bhatts, told reporters outside her home she’s glad the Bhatt’s child has been taken away from the father. “A mother wouldn’t leave her baby, definitely when her baby’s first …,” a choked-up Freeman said. “Very tragic, very sad story,” she said. “I really hope that they find her … for her family. They need her to have closure."
A peace prayer vigil with a Nepalese mantra was held by the community.
The court case is viewable online here.
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