Virginia man arrested on suspicion of “concealing a corpse” weeks after his wife's disappearance

Four weeks after his wife disappeared, a man was arrested on suspicion of concealing a corpse, authorities in the US state of Virginia said on Thursday.

Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Luge confirmed in a statement that Naresh Bhatt was arrested on charges of concealing a corpse.

His wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, was last seen on July 27 at her job as a pediatric nurse and is the subject of an extensive missing persons search. Kafle's young daughter, who turned one this week, has been taken into the care of social services.

Authorities have not confirmed that a body was found, saying only that Naresh Bhatt may have hidden it somehow. Police confirmed that the arrest was made “in connection with her disappearance.”

“The Manassas Park Police Department is still investigating the disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt and hopes to locate her,” the statement said. “There are other investigative lines that are being actively pursued and may result in additional charges.”

“The Manassas Park Police Department is still investigating the disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt and hopes to locate her,” the statement said. “There are other investigative lines that are being actively pursued and may result in additional charges.”

Naresh Bhatt is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in Juvenile and Family Court on Friday morning.

Police had previously said Naresh Bhatt last saw his wife on July 31. Her work colleagues raised the alarm when she did not show up for work on August 2 – police visited the family home and spoke to Narash Bhatt, but his wife was not reported missing.

She was not officially reported missing until August 8, and police say no activity has been detected on her credit cards or phone since her disappearance.

Friends and family held a candlelight vigil outside the Kafles' home on Thursday, including many from Mamta Kafle Bhatt's native Nepal. The local community and Kafle's colleagues have organized several searches for her.

A GoFundMe account set up to raise money for the search has now reached nearly $14,000.