SIVASAGAR/GUWAHATI: Ghanakanta Gogoi, the prime accused in the October 26 mass shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati that left five people dead, was killed in police firing in the early hours of Wednesday in Assam’s Sivasagar district.
The incident occurred around 3:10 a.m. near Phulpanichiga under the Gaurisagar police station limits. Police said Gogoi, 34, was being taken from Guwahati Central Jail to Sivasagar in connection with a 2024 bank fraud case when he requested that the vehicle be stopped so he could relieve himself.
According to Sivasagar Senior Superintendent of Police Papori Chetia, Gogoi then allegedly attacked the escorting team and tried to snatch a police officer’s service revolver. A scuffle ensued during which three rounds were fired. One officer sustained serious injuries. Another policeman opened fire in response, striking Gogoi. He was rushed to Sivasagar Civil Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Gogoi had been arrested within an hour of the October 26 shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Bora Service area. The attack killed five people — hotel owner Helena Bharali, her brother Bhudev Bharali, her son Debarshi Kashyap, daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap, and Narayan Das — and injured another person. Investigators have said the killings stemmed from a property dispute involving the hotel’s lease and financial arrangements.
Families of the victims expressed relief over the development. A post-mortem examination of Gogoi’s body is scheduled to be conducted at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh.
The killing has drawn attention amid existing scrutiny of police encounters in the state. The Assam Human Rights Commission is examining related allegations under a Supreme Court directive.