Guwahati Hotel Shoot Out Accused Dies In Encounter While Trying To Escape

Guwahati: Ghanakanta Gogoi, accused of shooting five people dead at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati, was killed in a police encounter early Wednesday.The encounter took place at around 3:10 am at Phulpanichiga, near Rongmon Dhaba, while police were bringing Gogoi from Guwahati to Sivasagar.According to preliminary reports, Gogoi allegedly attacked the police personnel and attempted to escape from custody. Police opened fire, leaving him critically injured.Gogoi, 34, sustained a bullet injury to his body and subsequently died.Sivasagar Town Police Sub-Inspector Debashish Sharma was also injured in the incident.What Preceeded Ghanakanta Gogoi's EncounterGogoi was arrested by Sivasagar police in a 2024 bank fraud case on Tuesday, hours after a court in Guwahati remanded him to judicial custody following the completion of seven days of police remand in the hotel firing case."He was a trained shooter and an experienced person with different weapons," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Papori Chetia said. "When he alighted from the police vehicle to relieve himself, he tried to snatch the service weapon of our investigating officer. There was a fight with the accused, and our officer was badly injured. To save our officer, the PSO of the Sivasagar Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge had to fire."READ | 3 Assam Cops Part Of Guwahati Hotel Shooting Probe Team TransferredGogoi sustained a bullet injury and was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead, the SSP said."He had a bullet injury near his heart. He was brought dead," the doctor said.The injured police officer is undergoing treatment at a local hospital, Chetia said."Gogoi was a criminal-minded person. He was a threat to our officers. For defence, the personal security officer had to shoot," the SSP added.Accused Had Raised Encounter FearsGogoi's lawyer had earlier raised "encounter" fears over his safety while he was in police custody. The court subsequently directed the police to ensure safeguards and laid down conditions for the seven-day police custody.The court had issued directions on evidence recovery, security and medical examinations, while prohibiting custodial torture and directing police to provide basic necessities.2024 Bank Fraud CaseThe case was filed by the then Punjab National Bank Manager Debabrat Buragohain in 2024 at Sivasagar police station."The case was already under investigation and arrest of the accused was pending. We were looking for him. Last night, we took him in custody and he was being brought to Sivasagar," Chetia added.Guwahati Hotel Shoot OutFive people, including four from a business family, were killed and another person was injured in the firing incident at Hotel Bilas Inn in Bora Service area of Guwahati on October 26. The shooting stemmed from an alleged dispute between the owners of the property and its leaseholder, Gogoi, over the management of the hotel.Gogoi, the leaseholder, had been arrested soon after the incident, and a licenced .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the crime had been seized from his possession.The victims were identified as Bhudev Bharali (65), his sister Helena (58), her son Debarshi Kashyap (39) and daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap (30), and family staffer Narayan Das (48).A driver of the Bharali family, Satyendra Pathak (43), was also injured in the shooting.On Monday, the accused Gogoi was taken to the crime spot for scene recreation. The exercise was carried out with the help of Guwahati Police, using dummy bodies and a replica firearm to establish the sequence of events. The reconstruction was videographed.READ | How Guwahati Hotel Shooting Unfolded, Probe Team Reconstructs Crime SceneLease Disagreement Among Key Angles Of ProbeAccording to a police statement, the Bharali family had entered into a five-year lease agreement with the accused on September 10, 2025, at a monthly rent of approximately Rs 1.8 lakh.Following renovation of the property by the accused, disagreements arose regarding the use of the premises and provision of certain facilities, it added.A meeting had reportedly been scheduled on October 26 to resolve differences. The discussion, however, allegedly escalated into an argument before the shooting took place.SIT Examines How Accused Obtained PistolThe source of the firearm used in the shooting is another part of the investigation.A report published on Tuesday stated that the .32-bore pistol was purchased from Swasti Gun House in Dimapur on October 16, 2024. The reported purchase involved 40 rounds of ammunition and an amount of around Rs 3 lakh.The weapon was allegedly acquired against a retainer licence issued in Nagaland. The SIT is examining the licence, its issuance and the circumstances surrounding the purchase of the firearm.