Police did not seek further custody of the 34-year-old businessman as the SIT continues investigating the shooting that killed five people in Guwahati
Guwahati: Ghanakanta Gogoi, the prime accused in the Hotel Bilas Inn shooting in Guwahati that claimed five lives, was sent to judicial custody on November 3 after completing seven days of police remand. Police did not seek an extension for further interrogation.
The 34-year-old businessman was arrested shortly after the October 26 incident at the hotel in the Bora Service area. The shooting followed a reported dispute over the property’s lease and management, leaving four members of the hotel-owning Bharali family and a staff member dead. A driver, Satyendra Pathak, was injured.
Preliminary police findings suggest that the Bharali family had leased the hotel to Gogoi for five years in September 2025 at a monthly rent of around Rs 1.8 lakh. Disagreements reportedly arose after renovations, particularly over the property’s use and facilities.
Police allege that an argument escalated into a physical altercation during a meeting scheduled to resolve the dispute, following which Gogoi opened fire. A licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the shooting was seized.
A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Joint Commissioner of Police Ankur Jain, is examining forensic evidence, witness statements and the circumstances surrounding the incident. Investigators have also conducted a crime scene reconstruction and questioned Gogoi’s wife, Junmoni Gogoi.
The investigation is continuing to establish the sequence of events and determine the circumstances that led to the shooting.
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