Protests erupt in Vasco as Goa police hunt right-wing speaker Gautam Khattar

A local court in Goa has issued a non-bailable warrant against right-wing speaker Gautam Khattar for alleged derogatory remarks against St Francis Xavier. Despite notices, Khattar failed to appear before investigators, prompting police action. His brother, Madhav Khattar, has been arrested in Uttarakhand and remanded to custody.

Panaji: A local court has issued a non-bailable warrant against right-wing speaker Gautam Khattar who is wanted by Goa Police in a case related to his alleged offensive remarks against St Francis Xavier.

Judicial Magistrate First Class, Vasco, has issued a warrant against Khattar who failed to appear before the investigating officer despite a notice being issued to him, Superintendent of police (Crime Branch) Rahul Gupta told reporters on Thursday.

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Goa police are searching for Khattar since last Saturday when an FIR for ‘hurting religious sentiments’ was registered against him. Police on Wednesday arrested his brother Madhav Khattar from Uttarakhand and he has been remanded by a court in police custody for four days, said SP Gupta.

A video of Gautam Khattar making objectionable statements against St Francis Xavier, whose Holy Relics are preserved at Basilica of Bom Jesus Church, Old Goa, went viral, leading to outrage.

He was addressing an event on Saturday evening in the presence of religious guru Swami Brahmeshanand, State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and BJP MLAs Sankulp Amonkar and Daji (Krishna) Salkar.

Khattar is the founder of the organisation Sanatan Mahasangh. The event to mark Bhagwan Parshuram Janmotsav had been organised by Sanatan Dharma Raksha Samiti, Mormugao.

More than 100 people staged a demonstration in Vasco town on Thursday, demanding Gautam Khattar’s immediate arrest.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said efforts were on to trace Khattar and prevent him from fleeing the country.

The Goa Crime Branch has issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against him and alerted the Bureau of Immigration to prevent him from leaving the country. Police teams are camping in different cities across the country to trace him, as per officials.

The protesters demanded action not only against Gautam Khattar but also against the organisers of the event.

The protestors, who included former state revenue minister Jose Philip D’Souza and other local leaders, alleged that the organiser – Sanatan Dharma Raksha Samiti – was aware of Khattar’s background.

Several videos of him making derogatory statements against St Francis Xavier, considered to be the patron saint of Goa, were available online, and yet he was invited to speak, they said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurudas Kadam told the protesters that Madhav Khattar, who was allegedly involved in drafting the speeches and uploading them on social media, had been arrested.