How Guwahati Hotel Shooting Unfolded, Probe Team Reconstructs Crime Scene

Guwahati: The accused in the October 26 shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn was taken back to the crime scene on Monday as the Special Investigation Team (SIT), assisted by Guwahati Police, reconstructed the sequence of events using dummy bodies and a dummy firearm.Ghanakanta Gogoi, who was arrested shortly after the shooting, was brought to the hotel at Bora Service, where five people were killed and another injured during a meeting over a dispute related to the property's lease and management.During the reconstruction, investigators placed dummy bodies at different locations inside the premises to indicate where the victims had fallen. A dummy firearm was also used as investigators sought to establish how the shooting unfolded and determine the positions of those present when the shots were fired.The exercise is part of the SIT's efforts to verify the sequence of events and examine the accused's account against the physical and forensic evidence collected from the hotel.According to the preliminary investigation, the shooting followed a dispute between Gogoi, who had taken the hotel on lease, and the owners over its management and related facilities. A meeting was reportedly convened to resolve the differences, but an argument allegedly escalated into a physical altercation before Gogoi opened fire.Investigators suspect Gogoi used a licensed .32-bore pistol during the shooting. The firearm licence was issued in Nagaland, and the SIT is also examining the licensing details as part of its probe.The five people killed in the shooting were identified as hotel owner Helena Bharali (58), her elder brother Bhudev Bharali (65), her son Debarshi Kashyap (39), daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap (30), and Narayan Das (48).Satyendra Pathak (43), who was also hit by bullets, survived the attack and was admitted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment.Four of those killed belonged to the same family, while Narayan Das was associated with them.Guwahati Police arrested Gogoi within an hour of the incident and seized the pistol allegedly used in the shooting.The SIT is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the meeting, the dispute over the hotel and the events that led to the deaths of five people. Monday's reconstruction is expected to help investigators establish the sequence of the shooting and verify the evidence gathered so far.