The prime accused in the Guwahati hotel shooting that killed five people, Ghanakanta Gogoi, was shot dead by police in Assam’s Sivasagar district today after he tried to escape from custody and snatch an officer’s weapon.
Share Article
https://www.india.com/news/india/guwahati-hotel-firing-case-prime-accused-ghanakanta-gogoi-killed-in-encounter-was-trying-to-snatch-police-officers-gun-8542030/
(PTI image)
The main accused in the Guwahati hotel firing case, which left five people dead, was killed in police firing in Assam’s Sivasagar district early WednesdayPolice said Ghanakanta Gogoi, 34, was shot after he allegedly tried to escape from custody and snatch an officer’s weaponThe incident took place at around 3.10 am in the Gaurisagar area when a police team was taking Gogoi to Sivasagar in connection with a separate caseHe had been arrested by Sivasagar Police on Tuesday in a bank fraud case registered in 2024.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Papori Chetia, Gogoi was taken out of the police vehicle after he asked to stop to relieve himselfPolice alleged that he then tried to grab the service pistol of an investigating officer, leading to a scuffle.
The investigating officer was injured during the struggleChetia said the personal security officer of the Sivasagar Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge opened fire to protect the injured officer.
Gogoi suffered a bullet injury near his heart and was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him deadThe injured police officer was also taken to a hospital for treatmentHis condition was reported to be stable, according to reports.
Chetia said three rounds were fired from the investigating officer’s weapon during the scuffle, but none hit anyoneOne bullet struck the police vehicle.
Why was Ghanakanta Gogoi arrested?
Gogoi had been in police custody in connection with the October 26 shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in GuwahatiA court had sent him to judicial custody on Tuesday after his seven-day police remand ended.
Hours later, Sivasagar Police took him into custody in connection with a separate bank fraud caseThe case was registered in 2024 on a complaint by the then manager of Punjab National Bank, Debabrat BuragohainPolice said his arrest in the case had been pending.
What happened at Hotel Bilas Inn?
The shooting took place at Hotel Bilas Inn in the Bora Service area of Guwahati on the night of October 26Five people were killed and one person was injured.
The deceased included four members of a business family i.eBhudev Bharali, 65; his sister Helena Bharali, 58; her son Debarshi Kashyap, 39; and daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap, 30The fifth victim was family staffer Narayan Das, 48.
The injured person was identified as Satyendra Pathak, the family’s driver.
Gogoi, who had taken the hotel on lease, was arrested soon after the shootingPolice also seized a licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the attack.
Hotel lease dispute suspected to be behind the shooting
Police suspect that a dispute over the hotel’s management and lease agreement led to the shootingAccording to the police statement, the Bharali family had signed a five-year lease agreement with Gogoi on September 10, 2025The monthly rent was around Rs 1.8 lakh.
Gogoi reportedly renovated the property after taking it on leaseHowever, disagreements later developed between him and the owners over the use of the premises and certain facilities.
A meeting was scheduled at the hotel on October 26 to settle the disputePolice said an argument broke out before the meeting could begin and turned into a physical fightGogoi allegedly opened fire on six people during the incident.
Assam Police had formed a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the killingsOn November 2, Gogoi was taken back to Hotel Bilas Inn for a crime-scene reconstruction exercise, during which investigators used dummy figures to examine how the shooting may have unfolded.
The family had alleged that the attack was planned and demanded strict punishment for the accused.
