Guwahati Police Arrest Ghanakanta Gogoi After Hotel Bilas Inn Shooting Kills Five

Police entered the hotel at about 9 p.m., finding four bodies in the lobby and two injured on the approach road. Bhudev Bharali, 65, and Helena Bharali, 58, were among the dead, while 43‑year‑old Satyendra Pathak survived a gunshot wound and was taken to Gauhati Medical College.

Gogoi, who had a lease with the hotel owners since September 10, allegedly spent Rs 35 lakh renovating the property and was now locked in a dispute over its future use. The owners wanted him out; Gogoi demanded reimbursement of his investment.

The Special Investigation Team, led by Joint Commissioner Ankur Jain, has seized the pistol and recovered .32‑calibre cartridges. Forensic teams will examine the evidence while investigators pursue CCTV footage and witness statements.

Gogoi, a former Assam Police constable, is also linked to earlier allegations of brandishing a firearm in a separate incident, though no court case has yet been filed. The police are tracing his movements from Sonitpur on the day of the shooting.

The SIT will file charges within 48 hours, after which the case will proceed to the district court. Residents of Nabin Nagar and Barpeta, where the victims lived, are awaiting answers.