The Goa Police on Wednesday arrested the brother of Gautam Khattar, a YouTuber from Uttarakhand who was booked for “hurting religious sentiments” over his allegedly derogatory comments about Catholic saint Francis Xavier on Sunday at an event in Goa.
Police said that Madhav Khattar was named as a co-accused in the case for allegedly drafting the controversial speech that was delivered by Gautam and later shared on social media platforms.
Gautam, who describes himself as a “spiritual beat” journalist and makes content related to “Baba Sadhus, Sanatan Dharma, foreign devotees and religious places,” is currently absconding.
He allegedly called the saint a “terrorist” at the Sanatan Dharm Raksha Samiti’s Parshuram Jayanti celebrations in Goa’s Vasco da Gama. He also made allegedly derogatory remarks about the saint’s remains in a casket revered as sacred relics. The Sanatan Dharm Raksha Samiti, which describes itself as an organisation working for the protection, propagation and welfare of Sanatan Dharma, distanced itself from the remarks and apologised.
A case registered against Khattar after multiple complaints was transferred from the Vasco Police Station to the Crime Branch on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}A case registered against Khattar after multiple complaints was transferred from the Vasco Police Station to the Crime Branch on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Gupta said, “Madhav Khattar accompanied Gautam to the event in Vasco, and it has also come on record that a video of the derogatory statement against St. Francis Xavier made by Gautam Khattar was recorded by him and further broadcast on social media platforms. Based on the investigation, it has also been revealed that the speech was prepared by his brother Madhav Khattar, which was delivered by Gautam and recorded by Madhav to be broadcast on social media platforms. Accordingly, he was made a co-accused in this case for involvement in the crime.”
“After keeping watch over the house of Gautam Khattar overnight, a team of the Goa Police, already camping in Haridwar, was able to locate Madhav Khattar today and apprehend him. He was placed under arrest there and is being brought to Goa for further investigation,” Gupta added.
The Crime Branch has issued a lookout circular against Gautam Khattar so that he cannot leave the country. “The team of the Crime Branch is also camping in different prominent cities in the country, based on available evidence, to trace the main accused, Gautam Khattar,” Gupta added.