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Hairs found on handheld power saw in Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s disappearance, presumed death

Prince William County police have submitted more physical evidence found on a handheld power saw discovered in Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s Manassas, Virginia, home, after she disappeared in August 2024.

Bhatt’s husband, Naresh, is charged with murder, concealing a dead body and physically defiling a dead body.

A new forensic report, performed by Virginia’s Department of Forensic Science, identified three human hairs, 13 hair fragments, apparent fibers and debris on a reciprocating saw in the Bhatts’ home.

A reciprocating saw is a handheld power tool with a blade that moves back and forth, commonly used to cut drywall and wood.

While police have not identified a murder weapon in filings or pretrial hearings, this is the second instance in which potential evidence was discovered on the same saw.

An October 2024 report from department of forensic science indicated blood found on parts of the reciprocating saw matched a DNA profile created from Mamta’s hairbrush.

Police believe Naresh killed his wife in their home, then dismembered her. Her body has never been found.

Prosecutors said they have video of him dropping several plastic and trash bags into a dumpster after dropping the couple’s child off with a babysitter on July 30, 2024.

Later that evening, according to Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Sarah Sami, Naresh purchased a “40-pack of extra strong black trash bags.”

The heavy-duty trash bags were in addition to a set of knives he bought earlier in the day after shopping at Home Depot and Walmart.

Early the next morning, Naresh was also caught on video retrieving bags from his Tesla and putting them into a trash compactor, according to investigators.

Bhatt’s trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 10.

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Neal Augenstein

Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with Ƶapp since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.

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