Indian-origin man Naresh Bhatt, who last week admitted to a US court that he used a saw to chop up his wife's body and dispose of it, has been found guilty of first-degree murder. The jury rejected his claim on stand that his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, had died by suicide, and he only dismembered her after panicking. Her body has not been found to this day.

An Indian-origin man, Naresh Bhatt, who in shocking testimony told a US court last week that he chopped up his wife's body and disposed of it using a saw, has been found guilty of first-degree murder. The jury rejected his claim on stand that his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, had died by suicide, and he only dismembered her in a state of panic after he found her unconscious and failed to revive her. Her body has not been found to this day.

Jurors also convicted 39-year-old Naresh Bhatt of two additional charges, including concealing and defiling his wife's body. The conviction has brought an end to the case that has been going on for more than two years.

Naresh Bhatt's bond has been revoked by the judge, and he is expected to be sentenced on March 12. He could face life term as well as another five years for each body manipulation charge.

The jurors listened to several testimonies for more than a month, including those from Mamte Kafle's mother Gita and brother Mahesh, who testified through an interpreter. The victim's close friend and colleague, Sunita Basnet, also testified in court.

Naresh Bhatt was seen expressionless when the verdict was being read out, briefly talking to her lawyer. Mamta Kafle's family was seen hugging and one thanked the prosecutor.

During his testimony, Naresh Bhatt claimed that on July 29, 2024, he had gone to bed around 8 pm with their infant daughter. His wife allegedly did not come upstairs. At around 4 am, when he woke up to use the toilet, he caught a strange smell in the house. Upon returning to the bedroom, he claimed to have found Mamta Kafle lying on her back at the foot of the bed.

She was surrounded by vomit that contained ingested pills, blood and an open packet of Celphos, a highly toxic insecticide, close by. He testified that he attempted to resuscitate her for nearly an hour and after realising that she was dead, he moved her body to the bathroom. The 39-year-old claimed he had started panicking and became fearful.

"I don't know why I did not. 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," Naresh Bhatt told the court when asked why he didn't dial 911.

Mamta Kafle worked at a medical centre in Manassas, Virginia, as a registered nurse. She was 28. After the fateful night, her husband denied knowing where she was, telling police and media that he last saw her at their dinner table before he reported her missing. Her family found this odd and troubling, especially considering Mamta and Naresh's daughter's first birthday was only weeks away. It prompted an expansive search and the eventual arrest of Naresh Bhatt.

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