Although Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s body has not been found, her husband Naresh Bhatt is charged with her murder and is awaiting trial.
MANASSAS PARK, Va. — The Manassas Park home where police believe Mamta Kafle Bhatt was killed by her husband, Naresh Bhatt, is now scheduled to go up for auction.
The listing was posted on September 29, more than a year after her disappearance.
Naresh Bhatt was arrested in August 2024 in connection to his wife’s disappearance. Investigators believe Mamta was killed inside their Heather Court home at the end of July that year. While her body has not been found, police say the evidence inside the home tells a grim story.
There was evidence of blood in the bedroom and bathtub and signs that a body had been dragged, according to court documents.
“Obviously we know what kind of what happened in there,” said Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo Thursday night.
The home, which the couple had moved into with their young daughter in 2023, was released from police custody after all of the forensic evidence was collected.
“The Commonwealth did not want to hold the home as evidence. We got all the evidence we needed out of it, so they released the home,” Lugo said.
Now, the house is scheduled for public auction. The listing includes photos of the exterior, but no interior shots.
Chief Lugo says unless the family or the bank paid for repairs, the home likely still shows the impact of both the alleged crime and the investigation.
“I’m not aware of even the bank that holds a note on the house, even, you know, fixing the stuff that was just damaged during the investigation,” Lugo said.
Devon Fox, co-owner of the Fox Homes Team, says it’s a “stigmatized property”, because of the history there.
“A home where a death occurs, crime, homicide, suicide,” Fox said. “becomes a stigmatized property”.
However, unlike some states, the Commonwealth does not require disclosure of a homicide or a suicide in a home sale.
“Virginia is a buyer beware state so they put the onus on the buyer,” said Fox.
She advises potential buyers to do their homework. “If a buyer decides to ask that question, the seller or the listing agent should disclose it,” she said.
“The state cares about the physical condition of the home, not necessarily the emotional history that’s tied to it,” Fox added.
The Heather Court home is set to be sold at auction in two weeks, as is.