Panaji: The criminal case registered against YouTuber Gautam Khattar at Vasco police station for making statements against St Francis Xavier was handed over to the crime branch on Tuesday. Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that this has been done to help trace Khattar and secure his arrest.“Multiple teams are working to apprehend the accused as soon as possible,” a crime branch officer said.At an event in Vasco on April 18, Khattar made remarks against St Francis Xavier, which led to protests and outrage across the state. Several police complaints were filed against him, and a case was registered on April 19 against Khattar for hurting religious sentiments and for promoting enmity between different groups on the basis of religion.The office of the deputy inspector general of police on Tuesday issued an order directing the immediate transfer of the case against Khattar to the crime branch.South Goa SP said that a police team has been dispatched to Dehradun to track him down.“The team had already proceeded to Dehradun yesterday. It is tasked with tracking down Gautam Khattar at the earliest,” South Goa SP Santosh Dessai said.He further said that many complaints have been lodged against Khattar. “We have accepted all of them. Investigation is under way,” he added.
