Video taking off 62x its usual first day

Naresh Bhatt's changing account damaged his credibility, attorney says

WUSA9's interview with Eric Clingan examines the testimony and prosecution strategy behind the conviction in Mamta Kafle Bhatt's killing.

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WUSA9 Story of November 12, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 62,712 views a day, 62 times a normal first day on this channel (1,008).

Eric Clingan breaks down Naresh Bhatt’s first-degree murder conviction in the killing of Mamta Kafle

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0:08The jury returns guilty verdicts for first-degree murder, concealing a body and defiling a human body.
1:42Clingan says Bhatt's changing account damaged his credibility with jurors.
2:45The defendant, not the lawyer, ultimately decides whether to testify.
3:14Clingan explains how judges advise defendants about their rights and the risks of cross-examination before testimony.
4:20Clingan credits prosecutors with presenting a consistent account of Bhatt's guilt.
5:16Clingan describes a murder conviction without recovered remains as rare and points to Bhatt's admissions.

A Virginia jury has convicted Naresh Bhatt of first-degree murder in the killing of his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, whose remains have not been recovered. Jurors also found him guilty of concealing and defiling her body.

In WUSA9's examination of the verdict, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Clingan focuses on the distance between Bhatt's initial account of his wife's disappearance and his testimony at trial. Bhatt admitted dismembering her body while denying that he killed her. Clingan says that changing account severely damaged his credibility with the jury.

The interview also addresses who decides whether a defendant testifies. "It is entirely a defendant's decision to take the stand or not to," Clingan says. He explains how a judge questions a defendant beforehand to make sure they understand their rights and the risks of cross-examination.

The segment drew about 35,000 views in nine hours, far above WUSA9's usual start for regular videos.

Clingan credits prosecutors with maintaining a consistent account of Bhatt's guilt throughout the trial. Asked about securing a first-degree murder conviction without recovering the victim's body, he describes it as rare, while emphasizing the importance of Bhatt's own admissions in this case.

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