Guwahati, November 4 : Guwahati Hotel Shooting accused Ghanakanta Gogoi, a 34-year-old businessman arrested in connection with the October 26 shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn that left five people dead and another injured, was killed in police firing in Assam’s Sivasagar district early Wednesday morning. Police claimed that Gogoi attempted to escape custody and snatch an officer’s service revolver while being transported from Guwahati in connection with a separate criminal case.
The incident occurred around 3:10 am at Phulpanichiga, near Rongmon Dhaba, under Gaurisagar Police Station. According to Sivasagar Senior Superintendent of Police Papori Chetia, Gogoi had requested the escorting officers to stop their vehicle so he could relieve himself. Police alleged that he subsequently attacked the accompanying personnel and attempted to seize the service revolver of Sub-Inspector Debashish Sharma. During the struggle, three rounds were reportedly fired, injuring the officer and damaging the police vehicle.
Police stated that another officer opened fire to prevent Gogoi from escaping and to protect the injured personnel. Gogoi sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Sub-Inspector Debashish Sharma was admitted to Sivasagar Civil Hospital for treatment. The account of the alleged escape attempt and circumstances leading to the firing is based on statements issued by police.
Gogoi had been brought to Sivasagar following a production warrant obtained from a Guwahati court in connection with an alleged Punjab National Bank loan fraud case. Police said he was accused of obtaining a loan for an excavator using forged documents. On November 3, a Guwahati court had sent him to judicial custody after the completion of his seven-day police remand in the Hotel Bilas Inn shooting case. Sivasagar Police subsequently took custody of him for investigation into the pending fraud case.
The original shooting occurred on October 26 at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Bora Service area. Five people were killed, including hotel owner Helena Bharali, 58, her brother Bhudev Bharali, 65, her son Debarshi Kashyap, 39, daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap, 30, and Narayan Das, 48, who was associated with the family. The family’s driver, Satyendra Pathak, sustained injuries and survived the attack. Gogoi was arrested shortly after the shooting, and police recovered a .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the incident.
Investigators suspect that the shooting resulted from a dispute involving the hotel’s lease agreement, renovation expenses and financial arrangements. Gogoi had reportedly taken the property on a five-year lease in September 2025, with a monthly rent of approximately ₹1.8 lakh. A meeting scheduled for October 26 to resolve disagreements between Gogoi and the hotel owner’s family allegedly escalated into a confrontation before the shooting.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been investigating the killings, including the source of the firearm and the circumstances surrounding the property dispute. On November 2, investigators reportedly took Gogoi to Hotel Bilas Inn to reconstruct the crime using dummy bodies and a replica firearm. His lawyer had earlier expressed concerns about his safety in police custody, prompting a court to order safeguards, including regular medical examinations and protection against custodial torture. His death during police escort has raised further questions about the circumstances of the encounter.
