Guwahati: Five people were killed and another injured in a shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Bora Service area on October 26, with police suspecting a dispute over the property’s lease agreement as the motive behind the attack.
Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta confirmed the death toll, stating that the accused, identified as Ghanakanta Gogoi, had been arrested and the firearm allegedly used in the shooting seized.
The incident took place at around 9 pm, leaving six people with gunshot injuries. Five of them later succumbed to their injuries, while the sixth person is undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
Addressing reporters after the incident, Mahanta said preliminary investigations indicated that the firing stemmed from a dispute between the hotel’s owners and the person who had leased the property.
According to the police commissioner, Gogoi had held the hotel’s lease for around a year. He allegedly carried out the shooting alone and was apprehended within an hour of the incident. Police have seized a .32-calibre pistol suspected to have been used in the attack and are questioning the accused.
Mahanta said the deceased were associated with the hotel owners’ side. Four of the victims belonged to the same family, while another person was from their village. The injured survivor was also from the same village.
The hotel’s owner, identified in reports as Helena B Bharali, and her son, Debarshi Kashyap, residents of Senduri Ali near Guwahati’s Zoo Road, were reported to be among those killed. Another victim was identified in reports as Narayan Das, aged 48. Satyendra Pathak was reported to be receiving treatment at GMCH.
However, police have said that the identities of the deceased would be formally confirmed after verification and have refrained from commenting on further details about the victims while the investigation remains underway.
Mahanta said the probe was still at a preliminary stage, with scientific examination and further inquiries being conducted to establish the sequence of events and determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Further details are awaited as the investigation progresses.