- By Shubham Bajpai
- Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:31 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
YouTuber Gautam Khattar on Sunday, was brought to Goa by police on transit remand after he was arrested in Himachal Pradesh. Khattar was arrested over his alleged remarks against St Francis Xavier, the patron saint of the coastal state.
A Crime Branch team brought him to Goa, arriving by flight on Sunday afternoon. The coastal state police had been searching for him since April 18, after an FIR for "hurting religious sentiments" was registered in Panaji.
What's the row?
The FIR was registered after Khattar allegedly referred to the 16th-century Spanish Jesuit missionary as a "terrorist" during
An event organised by Sanatan Dharm Raksha Samiti on the occasion of Parshuram Jayanti in Goa's Vasco da Gama.
Apart from the controversial remark, he also allegedly made derogatory remarks about Xavier's remains kept in a casket, which are revered as sacred relics. The saint's Holy Relics are preserved at the Basilica of Bom Jesus Church in Old Goa.
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Khattar is the founder of an outfit named Sanatan Mahasangh. Based on the FIR, police reached Uttarakhand initially but could not find Gautam. They allegedly arrested his brother Madhav, which was cited by many on social media as illegal due to an alleged lack of a warrant.
The controversy erupted after Khattar's purported video making objectionable remarks, went viral. The protestors have demanded action not just against Khattar but also against the organisers and attendees.
The event was attended by Swami Brahmeshanand, Goa Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, and BJP MLAs Sankulp Amonkar and Daji (Krishna) Salkar.
On Thursday, over 100 protestors staged a demonstration in Vaso da Gama, demanding immediate arrest of Khattar.
Initially, the Goa Police registered an FIR at Vasco police station in South Goa. The case was later transferred to the Crime Branch after multiple complaints were filed at police stations in Margao, Panaji, Vasco, Anjuna, and Old Goa.
On April 21, an FIR was registered under charges related to promoting enmity and hurting religious sentiments. Goa CM Pramod Sawant was quick to react, assuring the arrest of Khattar within two days on Thursday.
Hindu outfits, rights activists target BJP, govt
The case has become a major issue with Hindu outfits, questioning the government over action against Khattar. The Hindu outfits have accused the Goa government and the BJP of targeting Hindus who called out the alleged campaign of Xavier to convert Hindus to Christianity.
In a video message, senior Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain called Khattar and his brother's arrest ' unfortunate'. Lashing out at the government, Jain said that such actions pave way for a future where criticism of alleged brutalities by the Islamic invaders would land a person in jail.