A six-member team will investigate the deaths of five people at Hotel Bilas Inn, while police examine an earlier complaint against accused Ghanakanta Gogoi
Guwahati: A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Lachit Nagar area that left five people dead and one injured on October 26. The team is headed by Joint Commissioner of Police Ankur Jain, with CID and forensic teams assisting the investigation.
The accused, 34-year-old Ghanakanta Gogoi, was taken into custody after the incident. Police are also examining an earlier complaint reportedly filed against him at Pulibor Police Station in Jorhat in June 2024.
The complaint allegedly accused Gogoi of misrepresenting his identity and attempting to take control of a business establishment with a group of men. The allegations and the outcome of that case have not been independently verified.
Meanwhile, Gogoi’s sister-in-law has claimed that several people attacked him as he was getting out of his car and that he opened fire in self-defence. She also alleged that he sustained a head injury during the confrontation and contacted his brother after the shooting. Her account has not been independently established, and police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The deceased were identified as hotel owner Helena Bharali, her son Debarshi Kashyap, daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap, her brother Bhudev Bharali, and Narayan Das. Driver Satyendra Pathak, 43, survived and is undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
Police suspect a dispute over the hotel’s lease and management may have triggered the shooting.
Also Read: Bilas Inn Shooting: Expired Lease, Smart Glasses Emerge as Key Angles in Guwahati Mass Killing
