GUWAHATI: Five people, including four members of the same family, were killed and another person was injured in a shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati on October 26. Police arrested the accused, identified as Ghanakanta Gogoi, the hotel’s leaseholder, within an hour of the incident.
The shooting took place around 9 pm in the Bora Service area. Preliminary investigations suggest that a dispute between the hotel owner and the leaseholder over the property’s lease agreement triggered the attack.
Victims identified
The deceased were identified as hotel owner Helena Bharali, her son Devarshi Kashyap, his wife Riniki Kashyap, family relative Narayan Das and Helena’s brother Bhudev Bharali.
Another person, Satyendra Pathak, sustained gunshot injuries and was taken to Guwahati Medical College for treatment. He was reported to be responding to treatment.
Accused arrested, weapon seized
Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta said the accused was apprehended within an hour of the shooting. Police seized a licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the attack.
According to the police, the preliminary investigation points to a property dispute linked to the hotel’s lease agreement. The accused had reportedly taken the hotel on lease about a year ago.
Police are questioning the accused and conducting a detailed investigation to establish the sequence of events and circumstances that led to the shooting. Further details are awaited.