Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court at Vasco on Saturday granted bail to Gautam Khattar in connection with the case over alleged derogatory remarks against St Francis Xavier, bringing temporary relief in a matter that has triggered statewide controversy.
The court pronounced its order after reserving the matter a day earlier following detailed arguments from both the defence and the Crime Branch. The order also came as Khattar’s police remand was due to expire on May 2.
Appearing for Khattar, advocate Amey Prabhudessai argued that further custodial interrogation was unnecessary since the alleged speech was already available in video form and had been documented by investigators. He submitted that the police had already collected Khattar’s voice samples and forwarded them for forensic examination to Pune.
The defence maintained that the central issue in the case was whether the voice in the disputed recording could be conclusively identified as Khattar’s. Prabhudessai told the court that prolonged custody would not serve any meaningful investigative purpose when the material evidence was already in possession of the authorities.
The Crime Branch, however, strongly opposed the bail plea, contending that Khattar’s release could affect communal harmony and public order in Goa. Prosecutors informed the court that the forensic voice analysis report was still awaited and alleged that the remarks attributed to Khattar were made deliberately and not in the heat of the moment.
Investigators also argued that the speech had the potential to disturb peace and inflame sentiments, urging the court to deny bail at this stage of the probe.
After hearing both sides, the Vasco JMFC court granted bail to Khattar in the case linked to the alleged remarks on St Francis Xavier.
