MANASSAS PARK, Va. (DC News Now) — Over 100 community members gathered Thursday night in front of the home of a missing Manassas Park mother as they continued to wait for answers from police surrounding her whereabouts.
About 150 people gathered at a vigil for 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt. They brought flowers, lit candles, sang songs, said prayers and comforted one another.
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Community members gathered at a vigil for the missing Manassas Park mother. -
Community members comforted each other at the vigil for the missing Manassas Park mother. -
Candles were lit as Manassas Park community members celebrated the missing mother’s life. -
Around 150 Manassas Park community members gathered at the missing mother’s vigil. -
Pictures of the missing mother were hung up at her vigil. -
Community members placed flowers at the missing mother’s vigil.
Bishal Karki, who came to the vigil Thursday night, said he’s been waiting for “positive news” but he said no one has been able to get any.
“We’re here for Mamta, it’s one of the saddest days for us,” he said. “We all are here to pray for her.”
Karki said they are all “very devastated.”
“We’re gathered together to celebrate her life,” he said.
Karki said he and the Nepali community in Manassas Park have come together to rally around Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s 1-year-old daughter as well.
“We’re all very concerned for her life because she does not have anyone else but us,” he said. “She’s ‘our daughter’ of humanity and we’re trying our best, whatever we can do, to secure her life so that she can get the best life so she won’t miss the life with her parents, even though they’re not here, we are always there for her and we will make sure that’s going to happen.”
This comes after police escorted her husband, Naresh Bhatt, out of their home in handcuffs Thursday afternoon and charged him with Prohibition Against Concealment of Dead Body, a felony.
Manassas Park Police Department (MPPD) said he had not been cooperating in its investigation and had been a person of interest.
MPPD said it has been searching for her since she was last seen on July 27. Her case was then escalated to missing “under involuntary circumstances.”
MPPD had followed up over 100 leads and made even more interviews.
Officers searched the family’s home on Aug. 21 where they “obtained additional evidence,” MPPD said.
After Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s husband was arrested, officers continued to take things out of their home. Detectives also took their 1-year-old daughter, who is now in the care of the Department of Social Services.
Naresh Bhatt is being held without bond, pending his arraignment Friday at 8:30 a.m. in Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.
