Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The investigation into the case registered against Gautam Khattar for alleged derogatory remarks on St Francis Xavier during a public event in Vasco has been handed over to the Crime Branch, Ribandar, with multiple teams now deployed to trace and arrest the accused.
The transfer of the case was ordered by the Goa Police following growing sensitivity around the incident, which occurred during the Parshuram Jayanti celebrations. Officials said the decision was taken to ensure a more specialised and coordinated investigation.
According to senior officers of the Crime Branch, several teams have been constituted and are actively operating across multiple locations to locate Khattar. Police sources confirmed that search operations have now extended beyond Goa as part of efforts to track his movements.
On Monday evening, Vasco police recorded detailed statements of key members of the Sanatan Dharma Raksha Samiti, the organisation that hosted the event. The statements reportedly captured the sequence of events, including the manner in which the speech unfolded and the immediate reaction of organisers on stage.
Investigators also collected inputs regarding the planning of the programme, the invitation extended to the speaker, and the intervention attempts made once the controversial remarks were delivered. Officials indicated that these statements are likely to form an important part of the evidence, with organisers expected to be cited as witnesses in the case.
In a parallel development, a police team has been dispatched to Dehradun as part of efforts to trace the accused. The team is understood to have reached Delhi and is expected to proceed further into Uttarakhand, where Khattar is believed to have links, to complete legal formalities connected to his arrest.
The Crime Branch is now focusing on securing the presence of the accused and consolidating all evidence, including video recordings and witness testimonies, as the investigation moves into a more intensive phase.
