VA MAMTA KAFLE BHATT: Missing from Manassas Park, VA - 31 July 2024 - Age 28 *ARREST*

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www.wusa9.com

Manassas Park mom disappears under 'involuntary circumstance' police say

Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, has been missing since July 31.
www.wusa9.com www.wusa9.com

Manassas Park mom disappears under 'involuntary circumstance' police say​

Manassas Park Police say a mother is considered to be missing under "involuntary circumstance" after not being seen since July 31.

Investigators released information about the missing person's case on Aug. 8.

Friends tell us Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, never showed up to her Aug. 1 shift at Inova Fairfax Hospital where she worked as a pediatric nurse. Bhatt's former roommate Nadia Navarro says she does not understand why it took so long for police to notify the community that her close friend was missing.

"I last heard from her personally on July 28th. She called me a couple times, but I was asleep. And I got a call from someone I met at Mamta's baby shower and she asked me if I knew where Mamta was," Navarro told WUSA9 in a Manassas parking lot as she organized a search party for her friend.

Over the weekend Navarro launched a Facebook group dedicated to sharing information about Bhatt's case. The group went from social media to actually conducting searches in Prince William County.

Navarro says she met Bhatt when she first came to the United States and they both bonded over their experience being immigrants. She says Bhatt is originally from Nepal and the two grew so close they considered each other family.

"Mamta is not an impulsive person, she's a very responsible person, she's a very calm person. So to hear, that she might be missing, I really doubt she would run away," Navarro added.

Navarro says she has a very difficult time believing that the first-time mother would leave her 10-month-old daughter.

After being at the Manassas Park Police Department for hours, we found Bhatt's husband, Naresh Bhatt.

"I am suffering through a lot," Bhatt told WUSA9.

Bhatt did not want to go into detail about the case but told WUSA9 that he was calling on the community to help him bring his wife home.



In a statement, Manassas Park Police wrote:

"This case is active and ongoing. What we can share at this time is the following: the investigators have conducted several follow-ups with neighbors, friends, co-workers and the husband. The investigators are also utilizing several investigative tools to help in an attempt to locate Mamta Kafle."
Media - MAMTA KAFLE BHATT: Missing from Manassas Park, VA - 31 July 2024 - Age 28
 
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www.fox5dc.com

Search for Mamta Kafle: Community continues to comb Manassas Park to find missing mom

Weeks after she went missing, a northern Virginia community is still looking for a beloved mother, wife , sister and friend: Mamta Kafle.
www.fox5dc.com www.fox5dc.com

Search for Mamta Kafle: Community continues to comb Manassas Park to find missing mom​

Weeks after she went missing, a northern Virginia community is still looking for a beloved mother, wife, sister and friend: Mamta Kafle.

Police say they are investigating all circumstances but their searches for the young mother have shown"negative results." But this isn't stopping people in this Manassas community from looking for her.


FOX 5’s Nana Sento-Bonsu spoke to her husband, Naresh Bhatt, who says these past two weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster.

"I’m really tired. Tired, exhausted – physically, mentally, economically. I’m suffering," he said. "I’m suffering a lot."

Naresh Bhatt also wanted to take the time to thank everyone in the community for coming together to help find his wife.

"Wherever she is we both waiting for her. We both love her. We just waiting each minute each second. I need my wife back. She need her mom. We need our family back as a normal."


While one group was out searching Saturday morning, another gathered outside the Nepalease Community Center, standing in solidarity, holding signs. One read, 'Mamta we are not stopping until we find you"


At the moment, it's important to note that police have not provided us with any suspect or person of interest information. They say it is an active investigation.
 
www.insidenova.com

On her daughter's first birthday, no new clues in disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt

Manassas Park mom and nurse Mamta Kafle Bhatt has been missing for at least 20 days – and today she will miss her daughter’s first birthday.
www.insidenova.com www.insidenova.com

On her daughter's first birthday, no new clues in disappearance of Mamta Kafle Bhatt​

Manassas Park mom and nurse Mamta Kafle Bhatt has been missing for at least 20 days – and today she will miss her daughter’s first birthday.

The 28-year-old from Nepal vanished at the end of July under "involuntary circumstances," according to police, sparking grassroots efforts by friends and co-workers to find her and keep her case in the headlines.

All of Bhatt’s family with the exception of her husband are still in Nepal, but she spoke with her mother nearly every day, her brother Mahesh Kafle told InsideNoVa. No family members, friends or co-workers have heard from Bhatt since July 28. The police chief said she does not own a car, and it’s unclear if she had a cellphone with her.

As the days go by without any new information, fear grows among her family, friends and the Northern Virginia Nepalese community.

“We are so much worried now,” her brother said. “We cannot do anything from here. We just can hope that the police and the investigators will investigate properly and we get our sister back soon.”


“We are actively investigating and hope to release any new developments soon,” Lugo told InsideNoVa on Monday.


Nepalese leaders also held what they called a press conference Monday evening to update the public on the case but did not notify any local media about the event or its location. It was announced only on one of the organizer's personal Facebook pages saying a "press briefing" would be broadcast live on eNepalese and DCNepal Facebook pages. It was broadcast live only on the eNepalese page.


Madan Uprety, executive president of the Nepali American Community Center, later said the gathering was “a community update” and not a press conference.

During the update, Uprety said local Nepalese leaders “were assured that the police department is dedicating all available resources to this investigation.”

Uprety said he has also been to the home and watched interaction between Naresh Bhatt and the couple’s daughter, who turned 1 on Tuesday.

“She is safe,” he said.

Mayor Rishell said the city won’t engage in speculation or rumors as the investigation continues.

“The Manassas Park Police Department is doing everything it can to locate Mamta Kafle Bhatt. I have complete confidence in our police department and in Chief Lugo,” she said in a Tuesday email to InsideNoVa. “We are all heartbroken that she is missing. And we are not engaging in speculation or guesswork of any kind. We are giving space and time to our PD for proper police procedures to play out. If there are any updates or new information that can be released to the public concerning this search, they will be shared immediately."

The mayor continued, “This process honors Mamta. In any investigation, there are details not shared because that could compromise the investigation. I can assure you that this will not be allowed to happen in this investigation. We are praying for Mamta, her family and community.”
 
If there was any question about her leaving voluntarily for a "break" before, it should be gone now. She is not going to miss her daughter's first birthday.
Happy birthday, baby N.
(Pic from Facebook page. Her friends collected gifts and other items for the baby.)
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wjla.com

Missing Manassas Park woman's husband named person of interest, home searched: Police

A large police presence is surrounding the home of a woman who disappeared from Manassas Park weeks ago.
wjla.com wjla.com
Missing Manassas Park woman's husband named person of interest, home searched: Police
A large police presence surrounded the home of a missing mother who was last seen inManassas Park weeks ago.Police told 7News that a search warrant was executed at the home Wednesday.
Authorities held a news conference Wednesday evening to share the latest on their search.
Manassas Park Police ChiefMario Lugo said the department has been following leads and conducted over 10 search warrants,including the one at Mamta's home on Wednesday, and hundreds of interviews related to this case.

Chief Lugo added that Mamta's husband,Naresh Bhatt, is not cooperating with police and he has been identified as a person of interest.

The search warrant executed at the home is expected to continue for a few hours through Wednesday evening, Chief Lugo said. But even then, investigators will still need to wait for forensics to get back with answers and it remains unclear when the report will be available.

SkyTrak7 was live at the home when officers were going in and out of the residence. Crime scene tape was also placed on the property.
 
wtop.com

Husband of missing Manassas Park mother charged in connection to her disappearance - WTOP News

The husband of a missing Manassas Park, Virginia, mother who was last seen more than three weeks ago, has been charged with concealing a dead body, according to authorities.
wtop.com wtop.com

Husband of missing Manassas Park mother charged in connection to her disappearance​

Naresh Bhatt, 37, was arrested Thursday morning, hours after being named as a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife, 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt. He is charged with “Prohibition Against Concealment of Dead Body,” authorities say. The felony charge involves the transport, concealment or alteration of a dead body, according to Virginia law.

News cameras from WTOP’s partners at 7News captured the scene as a Naresh Bhatt was led away in handcuffs around 11 a.m. Thursday. He is being held without bond and will be arraigned Friday morning in Prince William County’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.


Police are still investigating Kafle Bhatt’s disappearance and still hope to locate her. They said there could be additional charges made in the case.

The arrest comes after police obtained a search warrant for the family’s home on Heather Court in the Blooms Crossing neighborhood on Wednesday evening. Authorities have not yet said what evidence they uncovered.

wjla.com

Husband of missing Manassas Park mother charged in connection to her disappearance

Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, was last seen on July 31 and has not been in contact with her family or friends since.
wjla.com wjla.com
According to the Library of Congress, the Prohibition Against Concealment of a Dead Body is a felony charge given to "any person who transports, secretes, conceals or alters a dead body, as defined in 32.1-249, with malicious intent and to prevent detection of an unlawful act or to prevent the detection of the death or the manner or cause of death."

Earlier Thursday, Amy Ashworth, Commonwealth's Attorney for Prince William County, told 7News that authorities "don't know" if Mamta is alive. But Manassas Park Police Department Chief Mario Lugo told 7News she is presumed dead at this point. The department hopes to locate her and will continue to investigate her disappearance.

Mamta's daughter, covered by a blanket, was taken out of the home by authorities Thursday morning following his arrest. The little girl is safe and has been placed in the care of the Department of Social Services, police said.
 
www.wusa9.com

Court documents offer more details in Mamta Kafle Bhatt's case

Court documents say police found a substantial amount of digital and forensic evidence.
www.wusa9.com www.wusa9.com

Court documents offer more details in Mamta Kafle Bhatt's case​

Police found evidence that Naresh Bhatt killed his wife and dragged her body from their home, according to court documents from his arraignment Friday morning.

In the documents, Manassas Park Police officer C. Ventura wrote that police found a substantial amount of digital and forensic evidence that Naresh Bhatt murdered Mamta Kafle Bhatt and attempted to cover it up.


Prosecutors say Naresh Bhatt’s timeline he gave police was completely wrong and he changed his story. Naresh Bhatt had told WUSA9 and officials that he last saw her on July 31, but court documents show that she may have died on July 30.

Naresh Bhatt claimed Mamta Bhatt destroyed her own phone before disappearing, prosecutors say, but the phone kept receiving messages and calls up until Aug. 1 when the phone eventually died. During that same time period, Naresh Bhatt was seen on video going to pick up cleaning supplies at multiple different Walmarts in the northern Virginia area.

Naresh Bhatt sold his Tesla to Carmax Aug. 19 and spoke to two people trying to sell his home, according to prosecutors. Investigators say they found suitcases in the home and passports prepared for him and his daughter.

Protestors say the Bhatts' home was found in a state of disarray.

Naresh Bhatt will appear in court Oct. 24 at 9 a.m. for his next hearing.
 
On July 30, the last day that family reported hearing from Mamta Bhatt, Naresh Bhatt purchased knives, Sami said. At some point, she said, he also went to a Loudoun County Walmart to buy Lysol and Febreze — which authorities suspect may have been used to clean up a crime scene.


“What we heard was worse than we could have imagined,” Wirth told reporters after the hearing. “I don’t think we were quite prepared for the image that they painted of what likely occurred in that master bedroom and master bathroom.”

Naresh Bhatt’s only words to the court Friday were that he was “not very fluent” in English. A court-appointed interpreter then provided translation for the Nepal native.


Naresh Bhatt originally told investigators that his wife was visiting friends “either in Texas or New York,” Sami said.

When police searched the family’s home Wednesday, the house was “in disarray” and suitcases were packed, with blood spatter evidence in the master bedroom and bathroom, Sami said. She said investigators had not yet accounted for two of the three knives Naresh Bhatt purchased, and authorities believed he might try to run.

“This defendant poses a flight risk,” she said.

Naresh Bhatt’s next appearance is scheduled for Monday. He was unemployed at the time of his wife’s disappearance, according to prosecutors.

According to Mamta Bhatt’s friend, Sarita Neupane, the couple had an arranged marriage in 2020, and Mamta immigrated to the United States a year later. Fairfax County police confirmed on Friday that Naresh Bhatt was once hired as a police recruit in June 2020. He was dismissed after 22 days from the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy.

In October 2020, he “transitioned to a Police Recruit, but was unsuccessful in fulfilling the requirements of his role and was subsequently dismissed from the Department on November 16, 2020,” according to Fairfax County police.
 
www.wjla.com

'Justice for Mamta'; loved ones eager to find presumed dead body of Manassas Park woman

There has been an outpouring of support from the community since the beginning of Mamta's disappearance.
www.wjla.com www.wjla.com
'Justice for Mamta'; loved ones eager to find presumed dead body of Manassas Park woman
As a makeshift memorial grows outside the home of Mamta Kafle Bhatt in Manassas Park, so does the heartache and sorrow that friends and family feel for the 28-year-old mother, now presumed to be dead.

There has been an outpouring of support from the community since the beginning of Mamta's case, and it appears they don't plan to stop showing their love for Mamta until justice is served and authorities locate her body.

A time of reflection, peace, and healing was set aside Saturday morning, creating a space for people to process the recent developments, which revealed that Mamta's husband was accused of killing her inside their home and dragging her out of the house.

"These prayers are actually for all of us and especially for Mamta," said Holly Wirth, Mamta's former coworker. "We are just humble servants trying to find justice for Mamta."

The mother, daughter, sister, and friend united a community in ways they wish weren't true.

"Today, we’re all hurting, and we need to come together and find some joy in the midst of something that feels horrible," Wirth said.

People prayed, sang, held one another, and cried – difficult emotions to process yet also ones they knew wouldn't last forever.

"The message of unity and healing is so important," said Delegate Michelle Maldonado, who represents Manassas Park and the City of Manassas. "Eventually, we can break a smile and then eventually we can laugh at a funny memory."

There are memories that Mamta's best friend, Nadia Navarro, said she'll cherish forever, even though Mamta's were cut short.

"Mamta had so many dreams that she’s never going to get to realize. She wanted to be a nurse practitioner. She wanted more kids. She wanted to do so, so much, and she’s never going to get to do that," Navarro said. "She is this kind of person that has a huge heart, and she gives to others. It's horrifying to me that her love was something that was used against her."

Until Mamta's body is found, community members said they will not stop looking for her fighting for justice for their friend they say deserved better.
 
www.wusa9.com

Naresh Bhatt held without bond in missing Manassas Park mom case

A judge said Naresh Bhatt poses a danger to the community, and is a flight risk.
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Naresh Bhatt held without bond in missing Manassas Park mom case​

A judge has ruled Naresh Bhatt be held without bond during a hearing in court Monday morning. A judge said Bhatt was considered a flight risk following his arrest for allegedly disposing a body last week. The judge also said he posed a danger to the community.

www.nbcwashington.com

Packed-up house, passports out: Missing Virginia mom's husband ordered held without bond

A preliminary hearing in the case against Naresh Bhatt is currently set for Oct. 24.
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Packed-up house, passports out: Missing Virginia mom's husband ordered held without bond​

Northern Virginia man has been ordered to remain in police custody amid the disappearance of his wife, three days after prosecutors laid out chilling details in court involving evidence of pooling blood and missing knives.

Naresh Bhatt was ordered held without bond Monday. He was arraigned Friday on a charge of concealing a dead body.


Prosecutors said Friday there was evidence of pooling blood in the primary bedroom of the home, and blood splatter in the primary bathroom. They said investigators found indications that a body was dragged. News4 video showed investigators carrying what appeared to be large swaths of rolled-up carpet into a Prince William County police van.

While laying out its case, the prosecution said Naresh Bhatt changed his story numerous times about when he last saw his wife.

Prosecutors said there’s evidence that Naresh Bhatt was in the process of packing up his home and selling his car. Passports for him and his daughter were in full view when police entered the home for a search. He appeared in court Friday wearing an orange jumpsuit. He had nothing to say to the judge and used an interpreter to help him understand the proceedings.

The defense attorney argued that he should be released, saying Bhatt hadn’t fled and that anyone could buy cleaning supplies. The attorney said that there’s no evidence the blood found in the home is Mamta's or that she had been killed.
 

Missing Va. woman’s husband searched online about marrying ‘after spouse dies,’ prosecutor says​

Months before his wife’s disappearance, a Manassas Park man with a government contracting job used his work computer to google “How long does it take to get married after spouse dies,” a prosecutor said in court.

The man, 37-year-old Naresh Bhatt, on Monday made his second appearance in court, where authorities laid out more of the evidence they have connecting him to the disappearance of his wife, 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt.

Prosecutors alleged that Naresh Bhatt, who is charged with concealment of a dead body, had faced accusations from friends that he abused his wife, and that when authorities searched his Northern Virginia home last week, they found a crime scene suggesting that Mamta Bhatt had been killed.

At the end of the hearing, a judge ruled that Naresh Bhatt could be held without bail until his next court date.

“The amount of blood in that master bedroom and bathroom is indicative of injuries that are not survivable,” Prince William County prosecutor Sarah Sami told the court. “Every indication in this case is that Mamta is no longer alive. And the commonwealth can pursue a homicide charge without a body.”

Much of the legal jousting Monday between the defense and prosecution hinged on how Naresh Bhatt was being charged with concealing a dead body — the only charge against him as of now — while his wife’s remains are still unaccounted for. The defense argued the intense public outrage that has built since the young mother and Nepal native went missing in late July had rushed the case forward without proper evidence.

“This particular statute requires that there is a dead body. What they have, to be clear, is blood,” Shalev Ben-Avraham, the senior assistant public defender representing Naresh Bhatt, said in court. Bhatt “was arrested because there is a huge media frenzy. The chief of the Manassas Park police is under pressure to do something.”

Sami, the prosecutor, fired back that the evidence against Naresh Bhatt was considerable and suggested more charges were coming. She highlighted in particular the volume of blood and the internet search history, which she said was provided to local investigators by the U.S. Secret Service. Prosecutors had alleged previously that they had evidence Naresh Bhatt might have been taking steps to flee while investigators zeroed in on him as a suspect.

Tests have yet to link the blood found at the couple’s home to the missing woman. But Sami told the court Monday that preliminary tests have concluded the blood is human.

Ben-Avraham said Naresh Bhatt had no intention of running, even though he had recently sold his Tesla and spoken to two potential buyers of the home he shared with Mamta Bhatt and their 1-year-old daughter, who was placed in the care of county social services workers after his arrest. The sales were to provide money for his family, Ben-Avraham said.

“He only has U.S. citizenship,” the defense attorney said. “This is not something he’s going to be able to run from.”

Sami also provided additional details illuminating the allegedly troubled relationship between Mamta and Naresh Bhatt, a U.S. Army veteran. In February, police were called to the couple’s home for an allegation of disorderly conduct, Sami told the court. Officers spoke with Mamta Bhatt, who said her husband would not give her official documents and destroyed her phone.

No charges apparently came from the February call. But Sami said detectives have since interviewed one of the missing woman’s friends, who reported that Mamta was a victim of domestic violence and had bruises from encounters with her husband.

The prosecutor told the court that Mamta, an active social media user who communicated regularly with friends and family, stopped using her phone on July 29. The next time the phone connected to the network was Aug. 1, when the cell was located “in Loudoun County near a body of water,” Sami said.

When police executed a search warrant last week, they used BlueStar technology to locate minute blood traces invisible to the naked eye. Blood traces were found in the master bedroom, Sami said, and investigators determined “something was dragged” from the bedroom to the bathroom.

There they discovered a “significant amount of blood” traces splattered on the wall and covering the entire floor of the shower, the prosecutor said. “The crime scene investigator on the scene indicated she had never seen that much blood.”

Sami added that when police served the search warrant, cleaning supplies were out in the bedroom, including an empty bottle of carpet cleaner Naresh Bhatt had purchased on July 31.

He did not enter a plea Monday. He will remain in custody until his next hearing in October.

Following the hearing, two dozen supporters and friends gathered outside the courthouse to address the media. Holly Wirth, a friend and former co-worker of Mamta’s, told reporters she was glad the allegations of violence inside the Bhatt marriage have finally become public.

“We have been trying to respect her privacy,” Wirth said. “All of us have heard and seen and been texted things that we did not want to share. But you know what, it’s in the record now. She was abused. And going forward, we are not afraid to call it what it is.”
 
www.wusa9.com

Everything we know about Naresh Bhatt

He is facing a single felony count for concealing a dead body that is presumed to be that of his wife Mamta Kafle Bhatt
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Everything we know about Naresh Bhatt​

Another search warrant was executed on the couple's home Tuesday, according to Police Chief Mario Lugo. He would not comment on what evidence they were looking for.

The couple has been married for over three years and in the last year the couple moved to their Manassas Park home with their now 1-year-old daughter.

Naresh Bhatt was an automated logistics specialist (92A) in the Army Reserve from June 2017 to February 2024. He has no deployments and left the Army in the rank of specialist according to an Army Public Affairs spokesperson.

The court appointed public defender representing Naresh Bhatt said during his bond hearing that he is a U.S. Citizen with a security clearance. Previously the defense argued that he should not remain in custody because he has no criminal record for violence or domestic abuse.

In June of 2020, Naresh Bhatt was by Fairfax County Police and in October of 2020 he transitioned to police recruit but was dismissed 22 days later for unsuccessfully fulfilling the requirements of his role police told WUSA9.

Prosecutors say that throughout the police investigation Naresh Bhatt provided detectives with conflicting stories about his wife.

During an Aug. 2 welfare check conducted at the Bhatt residence at the request of Mamta's colleagues, Naresh allegedly told police that he was in the process of separating with his wife. Prosecutors say he told officers that Mamta was either in New York or Texas visiting family, but they allege that the 28-year-old nurse has no biological family in the U.S. He also allegedly told police that Mamta had destroyed her phone before leaving.

Prosecutors say that Naresh Bhatt first told police that the last time he had seen his wife was the night of July 31, but later said it was the morning of Aug. 1. The public defender argued that the dates are conflicting because of the time frame in question.
 
wjla.com

Missing Manassas Park woman's 1-year-old daughter and family from Nepal reunited

The mother and brother of missing Manassas Park woman Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, have arrived from Nepal after getting an emergency visa.
wjla.com wjla.com
Missing Manassas Park woman's 1-year-old daughter and family from Nepal reunited
The mother and brother of missing Manassas Park woman Mamta Kafle Bhatt, 28, have arrived from Nepal after getting an emergency visa, and are reunited with Bhatt's 1-year-old daughter, according to the family's immigration lawyer.

Immigration attorneyBandita Sharma Dahal told 7News she immediately got to work to speed up the visa process so Mamta's mother and brother could come to the U.S. from Nepal to help take care of Mamta's baby.

Dahal said Mamta's family members arrived Tuesday and provided the following statement:

We would like to let everyone know that Mamta’s mom and brother has been reunited with Mini Mamta. We request community and media to give them privacy. They will speak up when they feel comfortable. We will not be disclosing their location at this time. They are dealing with unimaginable pain so please be kind to them.
#justiceformamta

Dahal said one of Mamta's friends still has custody of the baby at the moment.


Naresh Bhatt, the baby's father and Mamta's husband, is due back in court Thursday morning.
 
mynbc15.com

Court grants husband's motion to waive preliminary hearing in missing wife's case

Mamta, 28, has been missing since last month, and authorities said she is presumed dead.
mynbc15.com mynbc15.com
Court grants husband's motion to waive preliminary hearing in missing wife's case
Naresh Bhatt returned to court Thursday morning after facing accusations related to the disappearance and presumed death of Mamta Kafle, a Manassas Park mother who has been missing since last month.

Kafle's 37-year-old husband, who has been charged with concealing a dead body, appeared in a 9 a.m. motion hearing to waive his preliminary hearing set for Oct. 24, according to court officials. The prosecutors did not object and the motion was granted.

Outside the Prince William County Judicial Center, loved ones and supporters gathered in solidarity. The community’s outpouring of support has been unwavering since Mamta's disappearance, and it appears they don't plan to stop showing their love for Mamta until justice is served and authorities locate her body.
 
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