Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: A Vasco court on granted six days of police custody to YouTuber Gautam Khattar, who is facing charges over alleged derogatory remarks about St Francis Xavier.
Khattar was apprehended in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district after Goa Crime Branch officials traced his location during their investigation. Following his detention on April 24, Goa Police obtained a transit remand a day later and brought him to the state on Sunday via Manohar International Airport.
Security was heightened around the Crime Branch office amid fears of public unrest, with several locals gathering to demand strict action. After landing in Goa, Khattar was taken for a routine medical examination at Goa Medical College before being produced before the Vasco Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), which remanded him to police custody.
While interacting briefly with reporters, Khattar chanted “Jai Shri Ram” and appeared calm during the process.
The case originates from a speech delivered at a Parshuram Jayanti event in Vasco on April 18, where Khattar allegedly made offensive statements referring to St Francis Xavier and his relics. The remarks sparked protests across the state, leading to multiple police complaints and eventual transfer of the case to the Crime Branch.
Authorities said Khattar had evaded arrest after the FIR was filed, prompting an extensive search before he was eventually located in Kullu.
In a related development, his brother Madhav Khattar had earlier been arrested and placed in police custody. Investigators claim he assisted in drafting the controversial speech and handling related engagements.
