YouTuber Gautam Khattar was brought to Goa on Sunday in remand custody after his arrest in Himachal Pradesh in connection with a case related to his alleged offensive remarks against Saint Francis Xavier, the patron saint of the coastal state, officials said.
Goa police detained Khattar after he referred to the 16th-century Spanish Jesuit missionary as a “terrorist” during the Sanatan Dharm Raksha Samiti Parshuram Jayanti celebrations in Vasco da Gama, Goa, HT had earlier reported.
He is also alleged to have made derogatory remarks about the saint’s relics kept in a coffin revered as holy relics.
Khattar, founder of a group called Sanatan Mahasangh, was arrested in Kullu district on Friday after days of searching in connection with the case registered earlier this week.
The Crime Branch team brought the accused to Goa, where he arrived by flight on Sunday afternoon.
Read also | YouTuber Gautam Khattar detained in HP’s Kullu over controversial comment in Goa: Police
What happened?
The Goa police had been searching for him since April 18, when an FIR was registered for “hurting religious sentiments” in Panaji.
His brother Madhav was arrested from Uttarakhand on Wednesday in connection with the same case.
The controversy erupted after a video clip of Khattar making “objectionable” statements against St. Xavier went viral. The saint’s holy relics are kept in the Bom Jesus Church in Old Goa, and the video sparked widespread outrage.
The protesters demanded action not only against Gautam Khattar but also against the organizers of the event.
Khattar made the remarks while addressing an event on April 18 in the presence of religious guru Swami Brahmchanand, Goa Transport Minister Movin Godinho, and BJP MLAs Sankalp Amonkar and Daji (Krishna) Salkar.
Read also | YouTuber’s brother detained over controversial St Francis Xavier remark: Goa Police
Protests were organized to arrest Khattar
Earlier, more than 100 people held a demonstration in Vasco town on Thursday, demanding Khattar’s immediate arrest.
Police said he will be produced before a local court, which will decide on his detention while the case is further investigated.
The FIR was initially registered at Vasco police station in South Goa but was later transferred to the Crime Branch after multiple complaints were lodged at police stations in Margao, Panaji, Vasco, Anjuna and Old Goa.
Following the complaints, the Goa Police registered an FIR on April 21 on charges of promoting enmity and hurting religious sentiments.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said on Thursday that Khattar would be arrested within two days.
