Guwahati hotel firing: Prime accused killed in police encounter after trying to escape police custody
PTC News Desk: The main accused in the Guwahati hotel firing incident, which claimed five lives, was killed in police firing in Assam's Sivasagar district early Wednesday while allegedly trying to escape from custody, a senior police officer said.
The incident took place at Gaurisagar around 3.10 am when the accused was being taken to Sivasagar in connection with another case, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Papori Chetia said.
Ghanakanta Gogoi, 34, was arrested by Sivasagar police on Tuesday in connection with a 2024 bank fraud case. His arrest came hours after a Guwahati court sent him to judicial custody following the completion of seven days of police remand in the hotel firing case.
The police officer injured during the incident is receiving treatment at a local hospital, Chetia said.
“Gogoi was a criminal-minded person and posed a threat to our officers. The personal security officer of the officer-in-charge had to open fire in self-defence,” the SSP said.
Chetia said the investigating officer fired three rounds during the scuffle, but none of the bullets hit anyone. One bullet struck the police vehicle.
A doctor who examined Gogoi said he was brought dead to the hospital.
“He had a bullet injury near his heart. He was brought dead,” the doctor said.
Arrest in 2024 bank fraud case
Explaining the case in which Gogoi was arrested, the SSP said it was registered at Sivasagar police station in 2024 on a complaint by the then Punjab National Bank manager, Debabrat Buragohain.
“The case was already under investigation, but the accused had not been arrested. We were looking for him. He was taken into custody last night and was being brought to Sivasagar,” Chetia said.
Five killed in Guwahati hotel firing
Five people, including four members of a business family, were killed and another person was injured in a shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati's Bora Service area on October 26.
The firing reportedly took place following a dispute between the hotel's owners and its leaseholder over the management of the property.
Gogoi, who had taken the hotel on lease, was arrested soon after the incident. Police also seized a licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the shooting.
The deceased were identified as Bhudev Bharali, 65; his sister Helena, 58; her son Debarshi Kashyap, 39; his wife Rinika Kashyap, 30; and family staffer Narayan Das, 48.
Satyendra Pathak, 43, a driver employed by the Bharali family, was also injured in the shooting.
Police form SIT to probe the incident
Assam Police formed a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the firing incident.
The victims' family alleged that the attack was planned and demanded strict punishment for the accused. However, three members of the SIT were transferred from Guwahati within days of the killings.
On Monday, Gogoi was taken to the crime scene for a recreation of the incident under heavy security.
According to a police statement, the Bharali family had signed a five-year lease agreement with Gogoi on September 10, 2025, for a monthly rent of around Rs 1.8 lakh.
After Gogoi renovated the property, disagreements reportedly arose over its use and the availability of certain facilities.
A meeting was scheduled at the hotel on October 26 to resolve the dispute. However, before the meeting could begin, an argument turned into a physical fight, following which Gogoi allegedly opened fire on six people, the police statement said.
- PTC NEWS
