MANASSAS PARK, Va. - A trial date has been scheduled for Naresh Bhatt, the husband of missing Manassas Park woman Mamta Kafle Bhatt. The trial will begin on December 9 at 9 a.m.
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READ MORE: Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s husband appears in court day after another search of Manassas Park home
Mamta Kafle Bhatt has been missing since late July. Naresh Bhatt was arrested three weeks after her disappearance and charged with concealing a dead body. Despite the absence of her body, Bhatt waived his right to grand jury proceedings earlier this month, allowing the trial to proceed.
Bhatt's public defender requested a speedy trial, forcing the case to go before a judge sooner than later.
The prosecution pushed for February dates, which would give authorities more time to collect witnesses and evidence. Commonwealth Attorney Matthew Sweet called the December trial dates "not convenient or fair to the commonwealth" in court.
READ MORE: Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s husband accused of murdering her, dragging body from home: court documents
Outside the courthouse, Holly Wirth, a nurse and former colleague of Mamta, spoke to reporters alongside other community members. Wirth mentioned that authorities have indicated more searches for Mamta will occur as the case progresses.
"We’re going to keep showing up and standing up," Wirth said when asked about future court and trial dates.
Supporters of Mamta plan to attend an annual Nepali community event in Manassas on October 5. The judge set a pretrial hearing for Nov. 20.
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Judge orders release of key evidence in case of missing Manassas Park mom Mamta Kafle Bhatt
A Virginia judge has ordered prosecutors to hand over evidence in the case of a missing Manassas Park mother. Mamta Kafle Bhatt has been missing since late July. FOX 5's Lili Zheng has the story.