Prosecutors showed surveillance video in court Wednesday of Naresh Bhatt making multiple trips to trash compactors and dumpsters miles from his Northern Virginia home on the day his wife, Mamta Kafle, was allegedly murdered and dismembered, according to NBC4 Washington.
In at least four separate trips, video shows Bhatt disposing of heavy-duty garbage bags at locations he had no reason to visit. A witness testified that Bhatt was "carrying bags into the trash compactor" and "getting ready to throw more bags into the trash compactor," the station reported.
Prosecutors told the jury in opening statements that they believe the bags contained Kafle's remains or materials Bhatt used to clean up the crime scene, though no forensic evidence has yet been presented to confirm what was inside them.
Video shows gloved hands at multiple locations
One video shows Bhatt at a dumpster located at an apartment complex three miles from his home, a place where he never lived. On the same day, he visited a trash compactor at a complex where he rented a unit but did not live. He made two trips to that location—once during the day and once in the middle of the night, according to NBC4 Washington.
Video footage shows Bhatt wearing gloves while carrying the bags with both hands: one hand sealing the bag at the top and the other supporting the bottom. A witness described seeing him "carrying bags into the trash compactor" and preparing to dispose of additional bags.
Electric saw tested for blood
Late Wednesday, a landscaper testified that a couple of days after the alleged murder, Bhatt approached him while he was doing yard work on a neighbor's property. Bhatt asked the landscaper to work on his house and offered an electric saw as payment, according to NBC4 Washington.
The landscaper accepted the saw but weeks later saw Bhatt on the news and took the tool to police. Prosecutors told the jury in opening statements that the saw was tested for blood and that blood was found inside it.
Trial continues with defense response pending
The defense's response to the surveillance evidence has not been reported. The trial's expected conclusion date, Bhatt's plea status, and results from forensic testing of the bags and other evidence remain unclear as the case proceeds.