Guwahati hotel firing: Accused Ghanakanta Gogoi’s body handed over to family after post-mortem

The body of Ghanakanta Gogoi, the prime accused in the Guwahati hotel firing that left five people dead, was handed over to his family on Thursday, November 5, after a post-mortem examination at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh.

The post-mortem was conducted in the presence of forensic medicine experts from three medical institutions, as required under National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guidelines in cases of custodial deaths, officials said.

Gogoi, 34, was killed in a police encounter in Sivasagar district early Wednesday after he allegedly attempted to escape from custody while being taken to Sivasagar in connection with another case.

A senior AMCH official said the examination was delayed as authorities had to coordinate the presence of forensic experts from three medical colleges.

"Coordinating with the teams and ensuring their presence took considerable time, resulting in a delay in the commencement of the examination, although the body reached Dibrugarh yesterday itself," the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The post-mortem examination lasted more than three hours. Following its completion, Gogoi's body was brought out of the Forensic Medicine Department and handed over to his family members at around 7.10 pm. The family subsequently left for their residence with the body.

The encounter took place in the Gaurisagar area at around 3.10 am on Wednesday. Gogoi had completed seven days of police remand on Tuesday, following which a local court sent him to judicial custody. However, hours later, he was arrested from Guwahati Central Jail in connection with a separate bank fraud case registered in 2024.

Gogoi, the leaseholder of Hotel Bilas Inn, was arrested shortly after the October 26 firing incident. Police had recovered a licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the shooting.

The firing at Hotel Bilas Inn in the Bora Service area along Guwahati's GS Road on October 26 night left five people dead and another injured. The incident reportedly followed a dispute between the property's owners and Gogoi over the management of the hotel.

The deceased were identified as Bhudev Bharali (65), his sister Helena (58), her son Debarshi Kashyap (39), daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap (30), and family staff member Narayan Das (48).

Satyendra Pathak (43), the Bharali family's driver, was also injured in the shooting. He was undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and was discharged on Thursday morning.

The Assam Police had constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the shooting. The bereaved family had alleged that the attack was premeditated and demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible. However, three SIT members were transferred out of Guwahati within days of the incident.

According to a police statement, the Bharali family had signed a five-year lease agreement with Gogoi on September 10, 2025, at a monthly rent of approximately Rs 1.8 lakh.

Disagreements reportedly emerged after Gogoi renovated the property, with differences over the use of the premises and the provision of certain facilities.

A meeting had been scheduled at the hotel on October 26 to resolve the dispute. However, before discussions could begin, an argument allegedly escalated into a physical altercation, following which Gogoi opened fire on six people, the police statement said.