GUWAHATI: A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Lachit Nagar area that left five people dead and one injured on Monday, October 26.
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The team will be headed by Joint Commissioner of Police Ankur Jain, IPS, and will examine forensic evidence, witness statements and the circumstances leading to the firing.
The SIT includes Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shambhavi Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Debajit Nath, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Viku Achumi, Paltan Bazar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kuleshjyoti Bhuyan and Sub-Inspector Abinash Das.
According to police, Paltan Bazar Police Station received information about multiple gunshots at Hotel Bilas Inn at around 9 PM on October 26. Police teams rushed to the spot, where four people were found dead inside the hotel reception area and two others were found injured on the approach road.
The injured were shifted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where one of them later succumbed to his injuries. The sixth person remains under treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Bhudev Bharali, 65, of Barpeta; Helena Bharali, 58; Debarshi Kashyap, 39; and Rinika Kashyap, 30, all residents of Nabin Nagar in Guwahati; and Narayan Das, 48, of Barpeta.
The injured person has been identified as Satyendra Pathak, 43, of Barpeta.
Police have arrested Ghanakanta Gogoi, 34, originally from Dibrugarh and currently residing in Sawkuchi, Guwahati, in connection with the shooting. The pistol allegedly used in the incident has also been seized.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the shooting followed a dispute over the lease and management of the hotel.
According to police, the hotel owners had entered into a five-year lease agreement with Gogoi on September 10, 2025, at a monthly rent of approximately ₹1.8 lakh. Disagreements reportedly arose after Gogoi renovated the property, with disputes involving the use of the premises and the provision of certain facilities.
A meeting had been scheduled at the hotel on October 26 to resolve the issues. However, according to preliminary findings, an argument escalated into a physical altercation before the meeting could formally begin, following which the accused allegedly opened fire on six people.
The scene was secured for investigation, with teams from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) conducting scientific examinations and collecting evidence. Police recovered and seized several empty cartridge cases and live cartridges of .32 calibre.
Gogoi is currently being interrogated by the investigating officer as the investigation continues.
