Five people were killed and one injured in a shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Bora Service area (Img: X)
Guwahati: A late-night shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Bora Service locality left five people dead, including four relatives, and one person injured. Police are investigating a suspected dispute over the hotel’s lease as a possible motive.
The accused, identified as Ghanakanta Gogoi, who had leased the property, was arrested within an hour of the shooting. Police also recovered the licensed pistol allegedly used in the attack.
The deceased have been identified as hotel owner Helena Bharali, her brother Bhudev Bharali, her son Devarshi Kashyap, daughter-in-law Riniki Kashyap, and driver Narayan Das.
Commissioner Dr Partha Sarathi Mahanta, the firing occurred at around 9 pm. Six people suffered gunshot injuries, but five later died.
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The sole survivor, identified in the report as Satyen Pathak, the hotel’s caretaker, was admitted to a hospital. A senior doctor at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital said his condition was stable.
According to police, four victims were members of one family, while the fifth deceased and the injured hotel caretaker hailed from the same village.
Preliminary findings suggest the shooting was linked to a dispute concerning the lease of Hotel Bilas Inn. Gogoi had leased the property, and the disagreement reportedly involved the hotel owner’s side and the leaseholder.
Police seized a licensed .32-bore pistol believed to have been used in the shooting. Investigators are questioning the accused to establish the sequence of events and determine the circumstances that led to the violence.
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The investigation is ongoing, and the suspected motive is yet to be fully established.
The Assam Congress criticised the state’s security situation following the incident, saying the shooting raised serious questions about public safety and law and order in Guwahati.
In a post on X, the party expressed condolences to the victims’ families and urged the state government to act swiftly and ensure accountability.
The incident has renewed concerns over public safety in the city as police continue their investigation into one of Guwahati’s deadliest recent shooting incidents.
