Gautam Khattar being escorted to the Crime Branch office on Sunday.
PANAJI
YouTuber and self-styled spiritual speaker Gautam Khattar was on Sunday remanded to six days of police custody by a Vasco court after being brought to Goa on transit remand from Himachal Pradesh, where he was arrested.
Khattar was taken into custody in Kullu district after local police tracked him down based on inputs from the Goa Crime Branch in connection with alleged offensive remarks about St Francis Xavier. A special team of the Goa Crime Branch escorted him to the state via Manohar International Airport on Sunday afternoon.
Heavy police deployment was witnessed in and around the Crime Branch office amid apprehensions of public unrest, as locals who had been demanding his arrest gathered in the vicinity. Khattar was later taken to Goa Medical College and Hospital for a routine medical examination.
Speaking briefly to the media, Khattar said “Jai Shri Ram”, maintaining a calm and composed demeanour throughout. He was subsequently produced before the Vasco Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), which remanded him to six days’ police custody.
Khattar was detained by Himachal Pradesh Police in Kullu on Friday, April 24, and was later handed over to Goa Crime Branch officials. The team secured his transit remand on Saturday, April 25 before flying him to Goa.
The controversy stems from remarks allegedly made by Khattar during the Sanatan Dharm Raksha Samiti’s Parshuram Jayanti event held in Vasco on April 18. He is accused of describing St Francis Xavier as a “terrorist” and making derogatory comments about the saint’s sacred relics.
The remarks sparked widespread outrage across Goa, with protests reported from several parts of the state. Citizens lodged complaints at multiple police stations, demanding his immediate arrest and a public apology. In view of the escalating situation, the case was transferred to the Crime Branch, with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Director General of Police Alok Kumar closely monitoring developments.
Following the registration of an FIR, Khattar allegedly went into hiding, prompting an extensive search operation by Vasco police and the Crime Branch. He was eventually traced to Kullu, where he was detained.
Earlier last week, his brother Madhav Khattar was arrested and remanded to four days’ police custody by a Vasco court. Police said Madhav played a key role in preparing Gautam’s speech and managing his professional engagements.
