Court MinutesJournalist Sachchi Mainali testifies Bhatt told her he last saw Mamta on a Wednesday; witness describes Blue Star reactions at home
5 min read
Video: Court TV · Published 6:45 PM ET
Today in five bullets · Commonwealth v. Bhatt · Day 6 · Oct 14
- Mainali testified that Bhatt said he last saw Mamta on a Wednesday, which Mainali checked and told him was July 31. 0:18:36
- The witness described a bright blue reaction in a line down the middle of a photo of the master bedroom carpet, between the bathroom opening and the bed. 0:10:24
- The witness testified that Blue Star produced several blue spots at the base of the bathtub and said they indicated suspected blood at one time. 0:00:31
- Mainali testified Bhatt said he did not know about Mamta's Aug. 5 citizenship interview, though he said he edited and verified her documents weeks earlier. 0:27:37
- Mainali testified that Bhatt said he tried calling Mamta, drove to a neighbor's house, and then fell asleep thinking she might return. 0:20:57
The Case
Charged: First-degree murder; concealing a dead body; defiling a dead body.
What happened: Mamta Kafle Bhatt has been missing, and her body has never been found. Her husband, Naresh Bhatt, is charged in her death. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The state says: Bhatt killed his wife, dismembered her body and threw the remains away in trash bins in Manassas Park and Fairfax, and his Google searches beforehand show premeditation.
The defense says: there is a "black hole" in the evidence the prosecution cannot fill, and most of the forensic work speaks to hiding a body, not to a premeditated killing.
Where it stands: prosecution's case · scheduled through Nov 19.
Judge Kimberly A. Irving · Defense: Tracey Lenox
Updated Day 10
What's next
The judge said a redacted version of the interview exhibit would come later, and the prosecutor said he and Lenox would confer on the redactions. 0:17:15
Blue Star testing in the home
A witness addressed in court as Ms. Feldman testified that Blue Star produced several blue spots at the base of the bathtub, which she said indicated suspected blood there at one time. 0:00:31 She agreed Blue Star can still detect blood after it has been cleaned 0:01:00, and that the photos were taken in pitch black, which sometimes made it hard for the camera to focus. 0:03:43 She said she saw more reaction in the tub and shower basin in person than the photos showed, and described the color as very bright blue. 0:07:33
The judge received Commonwealth exhibits 105 through 108, photos of the reaction on the bedroom carpet. 0:09:22 She described a bright blue reaction running in a line down the middle of a photo of the master bedroom carpet, between the bathroom opening and the bed 0:10:24, and said the rocking chair was moved because there was a high level of reaction under it. 0:12:41
The journalist's interview with Bhatt
Sachchi Mainali, an independent journalist, testified that the English subtitles on her recorded interview with Bhatt keep the overall meaning but are not word for word, and that she is not a court-certified translator. 0:10:29
Defense lawyer Tracey Lenox objected that parts of the interview were not admissible. 0:12:09 The prosecutor agreed parts would be redacted 0:12:41 and said a redaction studio could mask the speech and subtitles. 0:14:20 Lenox said the captioned portions would have to be blacked out or removed. 0:13:47 Judge Irving said the issue was how the record was preserved 0:13:12 and warned that playing inadmissible material risked harm to the defense. 0:15:04 She then told the jury the defense was removing its objection to a clip, with a redacted version to follow. 0:17:15
What Bhatt told the journalist
Mainali testified that Bhatt said he last saw Mamta on a Wednesday, and that she checked her calendar and told him that was July 31. 0:18:36 She testified he said he tried calling Mamta, drove to a neighbor's house, and then fell asleep thinking she might come home. 0:20:57
She testified Bhatt said he did not know about Mamta's Aug. 5 citizenship interview, though he said he had edited and verified her documents weeks earlier. 0:27:37 The judge sustained a defense objection when the prosecutor asked Mainali about Bhatt's demeanor, then said she would allow one question because Mainali could see more of the video than the jury could 0:57:09; the prosecutor then withdrew the questions, saying the jury could not see because the video was blurred. 0:58:54
On cross-examination, Mainali testified that the translation was done by Ramesh Lamsal and that she did not know his process. 1:13:57
All 21 Moments
| Position in the clip | Moment |
|---|---|
| 0:10:29 | Mainali testified that the English subtitles preserve the overall meaning but are not word for word, and that she is not a court certified translator. Direct (state) 0:10:29 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:12:09 | Defense lawyer Lenox objected to the recorded interview, telling the judge parts of it were not admissible. Argument 0:12:09 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:12:41 | The prosecutor agreed with Lenox that parts would be redacted and the audio masked, and offered the interview subject to agreed redactions. Argument 0:12:41 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:13:12 | Judge Irving told the lawyers the issue was how the record was preserved and said she did not know what admission subject to redaction meant for the record. Argument 0:13:12 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:13:47 | Lenox told the judge the interview was closed captioned, so portions could not simply be muted and would have to be blacked out or removed. Argument 0:13:47 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:14:20 | The prosecutor told the judge a redaction studio could mask the speech and subtitles, and said the prosecutor wanted to play it while the witness was present. Argument 0:14:20 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:15:04 | Judge Irving told the prosecutor that playing inadmissible material risked harm to the defense and said the court was not creating error. Argument 0:15:04 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:17:15 | Judge Irving told the jury the defense was removing its objection to the prosecutor playing a clip, with a redacted version to follow. Ruling 0:17:15 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:18:36 | Mainali testified that Bhatt said he last saw Mamta on a Wednesday, which Mainali checked and told him was July 31. Direct (state) 0:18:36 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:20:57 | Mainali testified that Bhatt said he tried calling Mamta, drove to a neighbor's house, and then fell asleep thinking she might return. Direct (state) 0:20:57 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:27:37 | Mainali testified Bhatt said he did not know about Mamta's Aug. 5 citizenship interview, though he said he edited and verified her documents weeks earlier. Direct (state) 0:27:37 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:57:09 | Judge Irving sustained a defense objection to a demeanor question, then allowed one since Mainali saw more than the jury; the prosecutor withdrew it. Ruling 0:57:09 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:58:54 | The prosecutor withdrew the demeanor questions, telling the court the jury could not see because the video was blurred, and said the Commonwealth would move on. Other 0:58:54 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 1:13:57 | Mainali testified on cross that the translation was done by Ramesh Lamsal and that she did not know his process. Cross (defense) 1:13:57 into WUSA9 · Day 6 · independent journalist's testimony (edited clip) |
| 0:00:31 | The witness testified that Blue Star produced several blue spots at the base of the bathtub and said they indicated suspected blood at one time. Direct (state) 0:00:31 into Day 6 · crime-scene investigator's BlueStar testimony (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:01:00 | The witness agreed that Blue Star can still detect blood after it has been cleaned. Direct (state) 0:01:00 into Day 6 · crime-scene investigator's BlueStar testimony (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:03:43 | The witness agreed the Blue Star photographs were taken in pitch black and said that sometimes made it difficult for the camera to focus. Direct (state) 0:03:43 into Day 6 · crime-scene investigator's BlueStar testimony (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:07:33 | The witness described seeing more blue reaction in the tub and shower basin in person than the photographs showed, and called the color very bright blue. Direct (state) 0:07:33 into Day 6 · crime-scene investigator's BlueStar testimony (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:09:22 | The prosecutor moved Commonwealth exhibits 105 through 108, photos of the Blue Star reaction on the bedroom carpet, and the judge received them. Ruling 0:09:22 into Day 6 · crime-scene investigator's BlueStar testimony (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:10:24 | The witness described a bright blue reaction in a line down the middle of a photo of the master bedroom carpet, between the bathroom opening and the bed. Direct (state) 0:10:24 into Day 6 · crime-scene investigator's BlueStar testimony (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
| 0:12:41 | The witness testified that the rocking chair was removed before spraying again because there was a high level of reaction under it. Direct (state) 0:12:41 into Day 6 · crime-scene investigator's BlueStar testimony (re-upload of pool footage, edited clip) |
Times are positions in the Court TV clip; no time in court was published. Each opens the clip at that moment.
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