Guwahati hotel killing accused held; Assam Police announce SIT probe

The Assam Police on Tuesday (October 27, 2026) formed a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the killing of five persons, including two women, at a Guwahati hotel on Monday night. Ankur Jain, Guwahati’s Joint Commissioner of Police, will head the SIT.

Ghanakanta Gogoi, 34, who allegedly shot them dead, was arrested an hour after the incident. The police said a dispute over the lease and management of the hotel led to the killings.

Also Read: Guwahati hotel shooting case: Prime accused killed in police ‘encounter’

In a statement, the police said the police station concerned received information regarding multiple gunshots being fired inside a hotel in the city’s Ulubari area around 9:00 p.m. The police found four persons dead in the hotel reception area, while two others were found injured on the approach road. “The injured were immediately shifted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where one of them subsequently died,” the statement read.

The deceased were identified as Bhudev Bharali, 65; Helena Bharali, 58; Debarshi Kashyap, 39; Rinika Kashyap, 30; and Narayan Das, 48. The injured, 43-year-old Satyendra Pathak, is undergoing treatment at the GMCH. Helena Bharali is the co-owner of the property.

The police said the accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, is from eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh town. “The hotel owners had entered into a five-year lease agreement with the accused on September 10, 2025, at a monthly rent of approximately ₹1.8 lakh. Following renovation of the property by the accused, disagreements reportedly arose regarding the use of the premises, and the provision of certain facilities,” the police said.

“A meeting was scheduled at the hotel on October 26 to resolve these issues. However, even before the meeting could commence, an argument escalated into a physical fight, following which the accused opened fire on six persons,” the statement read.

Smart glasses

A .32-calibre pistol used in the incident was seized from the accused. Reports indicated that Gogoi had acquired a firearm licence from Nagaland. He reportedly wore camera-equipped Meta smart glasses during the shooting. The footage, if recovered, is expected to help investigators reconstruct the sequence of events.

The accused was also reportedly involved in a property-related case in eastern Assam’s Jorhat town in 2024.