Guwahati, Oct 27: A dispute over the lease and management of Hotel Bilas Inn at Ulubari turned deadly on Monday night, leaving five people, including two women and four members of a family, dead and one injured. Guwahati Police have constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the shooting.
The accused, hotel leaseholder Ghanakanta Gogoi, 34, was arrested within an hour of the incident and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup Metro, on Tuesday night. Police seized the licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the shooting.
Six-Member SIT Constituted To Probe Shooting
The SIT will be headed by Ankur Jain, Joint Commissioner of Police, Guwahati. Its members are Shambhavi Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central); Dr Debajit Nath, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime); Viku Achumi, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central); Inspector Kuleshjyoti Bhuyan, officer-in-charge of Paltan Bazar Police Station; and SI Abinash Das of the same police station.
Assam Police spokesperson Rajiv Saikia said four people were found dead in the hotel’s reception area when police arrived. Two others, who had sustained gunshot injuries on the approach road, were rushed to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). One later succumbed to his injuries, while the other remains under treatment.
Five Victims Identified, Survivor Under Treatment
The deceased have been identified as Bhudev Bharali (65) and Narayan Das (48), both from Barpeta, and Helena Bharali (58), Debarshi Kashyap (39) and Rinika Kashyap (30), all residents of Nabin Nagar in Guwahati.
The survivor, identified as Satyendra Pathak (43), a resident of Barpeta, is undergoing treatment at GMCH. Hospital superintendent Devajit Choudhury said the bullet passed through his right hand without damaging any vital organ. His condition was stable, but he would remain in hospital for further tests. An earlier update from GMCH Principal Babul Kumar Bezbaruah had described his condition as critical.
Police Suspect Hotel Lease Dispute
Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta said the preliminary investigation pointed to a dispute over the hotel’s lease and management, but cautioned that the facts were yet to be verified.
“The accused Ghanakanta Gogoi who took this hotel on lease before one and aa half year, fired at them from a close range. We already arrested him. The investigation is in preliminary stage. We have to cross, verify and reverity the facts,” Mahanta said.
According to the police account, the hotel owners entered into a five-year lease agreement with Gogoi on September 10, 2025, at a monthly rent of around Rs 1.8 lakh. Differences reportedly emerged after Gogoi renovated the property, particularly over the use of the premises and the provision of certain facilities.
A meeting was scheduled at the hotel on October 26 to resolve the dispute. However, before the discussion could formally begin, an argument allegedly escalated into a physical altercation, following which Gogoi opened fire on six people.
Family Alleges Unpaid Rent And Dues
Members of the Bharali family alleged that rent, electricity bills and other dues had remained unpaid despite repeated requests. Dilip Bharali, Helena Bharali’s elder brother, said Gogoi had invited the family for discussions and had also asked him to attend. He could not make it because of another assignment involving a puja committee in Barpeta.
“Ghanakanta Gogoi has taken the hotel in lease before one and a half year. But he did not pay a single amount for lease. Yesterday he invited us for discussion. I was also invited, but I could not present due to my other assignment of a puja committee at Barpeta. Had I been there I would als face the same fate,” Bharali said.
He alleged that the meeting could have been pre-planned. “Ghanakanta has invited them for discussion. My sister, the nephew, his wife went there for a discussion. I guess it was a prepanned murder. Ghanaakanta was prepare for the incident. I can’t narrate the incident,” he said.
Investigators Examine Lease And Forensic Evidence
Police have not officially established the motive. Investigators are examining the lease agreement, its reported expiry, renewal discussions and allegations of unpaid dues as possible factors behind the shooting.
Gogoi was traced to the Basistha Police Station area and taken into custody. The crime scene was secured, while teams from the Criminal Investigation Department and the Forensic Science Laboratory were called in to collect evidence. Several empty cartridge cases and live .32-calibre cartridges were recovered.
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The shooting has also raised questions about the weapon used. Police have confirmed six gunshot victims but have not disclosed the total number of rounds fired, the pistol’s exact make or magazine capacity, or whether every round struck a person. The weapon has been described as a licensed .32-bore pistol, but details of the licence holder, place of issue and validity have not been made public.
Mahanta said Gogoi was not a hired assailant and was not related to the victims. The accused is being interrogated as the investigation continues.
The killings have heightened concerns over public safety in Guwahati, with investigators now working to establish the sequence of events that led to the shooting.
