Reporter’s note: I actually testified in Friday’s hearing about allowing cameras in court for the trial. Here’s what happened.
Cameras will be allowed inside a high-profile trial in Northern Virginia, with a few restrictions.
The trial of Naresh Bhatt in the murder of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, is set to begin Oct. 5. On Friday, a judge approved a request from D.C.-area media outlets, including NBC4, to record the trial.
Bhatt is accused of killing his wife — the mother of their toddler daughter — and disposing of her body.
Mamta was reported missing in 2024. Her body has never been found. Prosecutors have presented evidence that Naresh disposed of her body after killing her.
Prince William County Judge Kimberly Irving says news outlets will be allowed to record the murder trial of Naresh Bhatt but won’t be permitted allowed to livestream it.
Her biggest concern about livestreaming stems from the recent, highly publicized and highly scrutinized trial of Lindsay Clancy in Massachusetts, which ended in a mistrial. The public learned there was a single juror holding out from the rest.
The public backlash and scrutiny gave Irving concerns that it could have an impact on potential jurors in the Bhatt case. She worried that there could be someone who might be excited to be part of a televised trial, and she worried that motivation wouldn’t be fitting.
The judge said she also was concerned it might turn off a potential juror who would have otherwise been fair and impartial.
So here’s what was agreed to:
- Cameras will be allowed to record the trial and use that recorded video to report on the trial, but media outlets will need permission to record inside of a courtroom.
- The judge could still squash this access if she feels that it’s impacting jury selection.
- Media outlets may not livestream the trial.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Oct. 5.
Mamta Bhatt seemingly vanished in July 2024. As the days went by without answer, the community gathered at the Manassas Park police station and demanded answers from the chief.
Eventually, police escorted Naresh Bhatt out of his Manassas Park home in handcuffs on a murder charge.
After he was walked out of the house in handcuffs, the couple’s then-1-year-old daughter was carried out wrapped in a blanket.
“Her daughter is doing well,” Holly Wirth, who was a friend and coworker of Mamta Bhatt, said last month. “She is a feisty 2-year-old, about to be 3, smart as a whip. And I think that she’s really in the best hands she can be with, Mamta’s family, and you know, the soul of Mamta, lives on through her daughter.“
