Assam Police Shoot Dead Guwahati Hotel Firing Case Accused
Ghanakanta Gogoi, accused in the October 26 shooting that killed five people, was allegedly trying to escape police custody in Sivasagar.
In a sensational encounter, Assam Police on Wednesday said they were compelled to shoot dead the prime accused in the deadly Guwahati hotel firing that claimed five lives on October 26, after he allegedly tried to escape from custody in Assam’s Sivasagar district.
Ghanakanta Gogoi, 34, was killed around 3.10 a.m. near Phulpanichiga under the Gaurisagar police station area. A Sivasagar police team was escorting him from Guwahati to Sivasagar in connection with a 2024 bank fraud (Punjab National Bank loan fraud) case.
According to Sivasagar Senior Superintendent of Police Papori Chetia, Gogoi asked the escort team to stop the vehicle so he could relieve himself. He then allegedly tried to snatch the service pistol of Investigating Officer Sub-Inspector Debasish (Debashish) Sarma, leading to a scuffle. Three shots were fired from the weapon during the alleged scuffle, seriously injuring the officer. To protect the injured officer and prevent Gogoi's escape, the personal security officer of the Sivasagar Sadar police station officer-in-charge opened fire. Gogoi sustained bullet injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.
The SP described Gogoi as a “trained shooter and an experienced person with different weapons” and a “criminal-minded person” who posed a threat to officers. The injured police officer is undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
It is significant that on Tuesday, a Guwahati court had sent Gogoi to 14-day judicial custody after the completion of his seven-day police remand in the hotel firing case. Hours later, Sivasagar Police took him into custody in the separate bank fraud case using a production warrant.
Gogoi, a businessman from Dibrugarh who was residing in Guwahati, had been arrested within an hour of the October 26 incident at Hotel Bilas Inn in the Bora Service area of Ulubari on GS Road. He allegedly opened fire with a licensed .32-bore pistol during a dispute over the hotel’s lease and management. The hotel owners had leased the property to him on a five-year agreement starting September 10, 2025, at a monthly rent of about Rs 1.8 lakh. Disagreements arose after renovations over the use of the premises and facilities. A meeting to resolve the issues escalated into a physical altercation, after which the shooting occurred.
The five deceased were Bhudev Bharali (65), Helena Bharali (58, co-owner), Debarshi Kashyap (39), Rinika Kashyap (30), and Narayan Das (48). Another person, Satyendra Pathak (43), a family driver, was injured. A Special Investigation Team of Assam Police was probing the case.
Police recovered the .32-bore pistol, reportedly obtained from Dimapur, Nagaland, from Gogoi after he surrendered at Basistha police station. The encounter has drawn attention, with earlier court directions noting concerns raised by his counsel regarding his safety in custody.