Guwahati Hotel Bilas Inn firing: Six-member SIT formed to probe killing of five

A dispute over the lease and management of Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Lachit Nagar led to the killing of five people in a shooting on October 26, police said on October 27, announcing the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.

The accused, identified as Ghanakanta Gogoi (34), allegedly opened fire on six people during a meeting at the hotel that had been scheduled to resolve disagreements over its management and facilities. Five people were killed, while one person, identified as Satyendra Pathak (43), remains under treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

According to the Guwahati Police Commissionerate, Paltan Bazar Police Station received information about multiple gunshots at around 9 pm on Monday. Police teams rushed to the hotel, where four people were found dead in the reception area and two others injured on the approach road. One of the injured subsequently died at GMCH.

The deceased have been identified as Bhudev Bharali (65) and Narayan Das (48), both residents of Barpeta, and Helena Bharali (58), Debarshi Kashyap (39) and Rinika Kashyap (30), all residents of Nabin Nagar in Guwahati.

Lease dispute behind shooting

Preliminary investigation suggests that the firing followed a dispute over the lease and management of Hotel Bilas Inn.

Police said the hotel owners had entered into a five-year lease agreement with Gogoi on September 10, 2025, at a monthly rent of approximately Rs 1.8 lakh. Disagreements reportedly developed after Gogoi renovated the property, with differences arising over the use of the premises and the provision of certain facilities.

A meeting was scheduled at the hotel on October 26 to resolve the issues. However, before the meeting could formally begin, an argument escalated into a physical altercation, following which the accused allegedly opened fire.

Gogoi, originally from Dibrugarh and currently residing in Sawkuchi in Guwahati, was subsequently traced to the Basistha Police Station area and taken into custody. The pistol allegedly used in the shooting has been seized.

Forensic examination underway

The crime scene was secured, and teams from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) were deployed to collect evidence. Several empty cartridge cases and live cartridges of .32 calibre were recovered and seized.

The accused is being interrogated by the investigating officer as police work to establish the complete sequence of events and the circumstances leading to the shooting.

Six-member SIT constituted

In view of the gravity of the incident, the Guwahati Police Commissionerate has constituted a six-member SIT to ensure a thorough and time-bound investigation.

The team will be headed by Joint Commissioner of Police Ankur Jain, IPS. Other members include Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shambhavi Mishra, IPS; Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Debajit Nath, APS; Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Viku Achumi, IPS; Paltan Bazar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Inspector Kuleshjyoti Bhuyan; and Sub-Inspector Abinash Das.

The SIT will examine forensic evidence, record witness statements and investigate the circumstances leading to the firing, along with other relevant aspects of the case.

Further investigation is underway.