Ghanakanta Gogoi, accused of shooting five people dead at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati, was killed in a police encounter early Wednesday.
Ghanakanta Gogoi was arrested by Sivasagar police in a 2024 bank fraud case on Tuesday, hours after a court in Guwahati remanded him to judicial custody following the completion of seven days of police remand in the hotel firing case.
On Monday, the accused Gogoi was taken to the crime spot for scene recreation. Police opened fire, leaving him critically injured. Sivasagar Town Police Sub-Inspector Debashish Sharma was also injured in the incident. “When he alighted from the police vehicle to relieve himself, he tried to snatch the service weapon of our investigating officer. There was a fight with the accused, and our officer was badly injured. To save our officer, the PSO of the Sivasagar Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge had to fire. The court subsequently directed the police to ensure safeguards and laid down conditions for the seven-day police custody. The court had issued directions on evidence recovery, security and medical examinations, while prohibiting custodial torture and directing police to provide basic necessities. The shooting stemmed from an alleged dispute between the owners of the property and its leaseholder, Gogoi, over the management of the hotel. The exercise was carried out with the help of Guwahati Police, using dummy bodies and a replica firearm to establish the sequence of events. The reconstruction was videographed. Following renovation of the property by the accused, disagreements arose regarding the use of the premises and provision of certain facilities, it added.
The encounter took place at around 3:10 am at Phulpanichiga, near Rongmon Dhaba, while police were bringing Gogoi from Guwahati to Sivasagar. Gogoi, 34, sustained a bullet injury to his body and subsequently died. Gogoi was arrested by Sivasagar police in a 2024 bank fraud case on Tuesday, hours after a court in Guwahati remanded him to judicial custody following the completion of seven days of police remand in the hotel firing case. READ | 3 Assam Cops Part Of Guwahati Hotel Shooting Probe Team Transferred The injured police officer is undergoing treatment at a local hospital, Chetia said. Five people, including four from a business family, were killed and another person was injured in the firing incident at Hotel Bilas Inn in Bora Service area of Guwahati on October 26. Gogoi, the leaseholder, had been arrested soon after the incident, and a licenced .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the crime had been seized from his possession. READ | How Guwahati Hotel Shooting Unfolded, Probe Team Reconstructs Crime Scene According to a police statement, the Bharali family had entered into a five-year lease agreement with the accused on September 10, 2025, at a monthly rent of approximately Rs 1.8 lakh. A meeting had reportedly been scheduled on October 26 to resolve differences.
Gogoi allegedly attacked the police personnel and attempted to escape from custody, according to preliminary reports. “He was a trained shooter and an experienced person with different weapons,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Papori Chetia said. Gogoi’s lawyer had earlier raised “encounter” fears over his safety while he was in police custody.
The discussion, however, allegedly escalated into an argument before the shooting took place.
“Gogoi was a criminal-minded person. He was a threat to our officers. For defence, the personal security officer had to shoot,” the SSP added.
The victims were identified as Bhudev Bharali (65), his sister Helena (58), her son Debarshi Kashyap (39) and daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap (30), and family staffer Narayan Das (48). A driver of the Bharali family, Satyendra Pathak (43), was also injured in the shooting.
2024 Bank Fraud Case
“He had a bullet injury near his heart. “The case was already under investigation and arrest of the accused was pending. We were looking for him. Last night, we took him in custody and he was being brought to Sivasagar,” Chetia added. The source of the firearm used in the shooting is another part of the investigation. The weapon was allegedly acquired against a retainer licence issued in Nagaland. The SIT is examining the licence, its issuance and the circumstances surrounding the purchase of the firearm.
The case was filed by the then Punjab National Bank Manager Debabrat Buragohain in 2024 at Sivasagar police station. A report published on Tuesday stated that the .32-bore pistol was purchased from Swasti Gun House in Dimapur on October 16, 2024. The reported purchase involved 40 rounds of ammunition and an amount of around Rs 3 lakh.
Gogoi sustained a bullet injury and was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead, the SSP said. He was brought dead,” the doctor said.
