As jury selection stretches into its second day in the murder trial of Naresh Bhatt, the judge has blocked the use of a polygraph test, while witness lists for both sides were officially unveiled in court.
The courtroom atmosphere in Prince William County Circuit Court shifted on Tuesday morning as the defense revealed that Naresh Bhatt submitted to a polygraph test regarding the 2024 disappearance of his wife. Mamta Kafle Bhatt. The information. disclosed on the second day of the murder trial. was immediately met with a firm procedural boundary: Judge Kimberly A. Irving declared the results inadmissible and granted a defense motion to exclude them from the proceedings.
Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Sarah Sami pressed the issue. arguing that Virginia law distinguishes between the actual results of a polygraph and the underlying questioning and responses. Judge Irving remained unmoved for the moment. though she left the door open for the prosecution to revisit the matter Tuesday afternoon if they could produce additional supporting case law. The court moved forward with jury selection following a one-hour lunch break at 2 p.m.
Naresh Bhatt. who appeared in court clean-shaven and wearing a black suit jacket. gray collared dress shirt. and black slacks. faces charges of first-degree murder. concealment of a dead body. and physical defilement of a dead body. Despite his wife’s body never being found, investigators have presumed Mamta Kafle Bhatt dead. The Manassas Park nurse and mother was last heard from on July 29. 2024. with authorities estimating her final moments occurred between the night of July 31 and Aug. 1.
Bhatt entered a plea of not guilty to all three charges on Monday. The trial is now the focus of a process to narrow down a final panel of 17 jurors, including five alternates. As of Tuesday afternoon, about 62 potential jurors remained after 20 were dismissed during the morning session. Judge Irving has guided the selection process through eight specific questions. probing potential jurors on everything from their media consumption and previous knowledge of the case to their personal or financial connections to the witnesses and the accused.
Behind the scenes of the trial, a massive witness roster is taking shape. The Commonwealth has identified approximately 95 potential witnesses. including Mamta’s mother and brother. Gita and Mahesh Kafle; former nursing colleagues Holly Wirth and Sunita Basnet; community advocate Prabha Bhattarai Deuja; and former roommate Nadia Navarro. The defense. led by Chief Public Defender Tracey Lenox and Assistant Public Defender Laurel Rodewald. has submitted a list of 17 witnesses. six of whom are relatives of Naresh Bhatt. All are bound by Judge Irving’s order to remain absent from the courtroom until after they have testified.
The logistical weight of the seven-week trial is becoming clear. With jury pay set at $50 per day, jurors are expected to receive roughly $1,400 for the duration of the proceedings. The trial is scheduled to run Monday through Thursday, with breaks for Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, and Oct. 22. Barring any significant delays, the case is expected to move toward deliberation by Nov. 19.
Legal tensions remain high beyond the polygraph dispute. On Monday, Bhatt requested a new judge, but the motion was denied by Irving. The court also noted that Bhatt previously declined an undisclosed plea bargain offered by the commonwealth. As prosecutors Matthew Sweet. Sarah Sami. and Katherine Williams prepare their case. the defense team of Lenox and Rodewald continues the final stages of vetting the citizens who will ultimately decide the outcome of the high-profile case.
Naresh Bhatt Mamta Kafle Bhatt Prince William County murder trial jury selection Virginia courts