3 min readPanajiApr 22, 2026 10:35 PM IST
Days after YouTuber Gautam Khattar was booked for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with derogatory remarks against St Francis Xavier, Goa Police Wednesday arrested his brother, Madhav Khattar, from Uttarakhand.
At a ‘Bhagwan Parshuram Janmotsav’ event held in Vasco, South Goa, Saturday, Gautam Khattar — who describes himself as a “spiritual beat journalist” on social media and is the founder of Sanatan Mahasangh — allegedly made objectionable remarks against the revered patron saint of Goa. The event was organised by the Sanatan Dharma Raksha Samiti, Mormugao.
Police said Madhav had accompanied his brother to the event and recorded and broadcast the speech on social media platforms.
Rahul Gupta, SP, Crime Branch, said: “Based on the investigation, it was found that the speech, delivered by Gautam, was prepared by his brother Madhav Khattar. It was recorded by Madhav to be broadcast on social media platforms. Accordingly, he was made a co-accused for involvement in the crime.”
A Goa Police team had been camping in Haridwar and keeping watch on Gautam’s residence. The team located Madhav on Wednesday and apprehended him there. He is being brought to Goa for further investigation.
Meanwhile, police said a lookout circular has been issued against Gautam and shared with the Bureau of Immigration to ensure he does not leave the country. Teams of the Crime Branch are camping in multiple cities to trace him.
Police said organisers of the event were summoned to the Crime Branch. During questioning, they said they had been in touch with Madhav for coordination and logistics related to Gautam’s visit. According to police, Madhav agreed to Gautam’s participation on the condition of flight tickets, accommodation, and Rs 51,000 in cash.
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The incident sparked protests across the state, with people from different religious communities and political leaders filing multiple complaints on Monday, demanding an apology and action for disturbing communal harmony. The case was transferred to the Crime Branch on Tuesday.
The Sanatan Dharm Raksha Samiti said Gautam was “not a state guest” and that all travel and accommodation arrangements were privately managed, without any government involvement.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Samiti said that when Gautam made derogatory remarks about St Francis Xavier, they intervened immediately to stop him. It added that he had been invited to speak on Sanatan Dharma, “not to make derogatory remarks about our patron saint”.
“We wish to clarify that the views expressed by Gautam Khattar are entirely his own and do not reflect the views of the organisers or the Sanatan Dharma Raksha Samiti. We, from the bottom of our hearts, apologise to all our Goan brothers and sisters who were hurt by the derogatory statements made by Khattar,” the Samiti said.
