At least five shot dead in Guwahati hotel over suspected property dispute, police launch investigation

Five people, including four members of the same family, were killed and another sustained a gunshot injury in a shooting at a family-owned hotel in Guwahati on Tuesday evening. The incident is suspected to have stemmed from a property dispute. Within an hour of the shooting, Guwahati police arrested the alleged shooter, Ghanakanta Gogoi, and seized a licensed .32-bore pistol. Police said Gogoi had taken the hotel on lease from its owners last year.

The incident occurred at Hotel Bilas Inn on GS Road, the city’s busiest arterial road, at around 9 pm. Police have not yet disclosed the identities of the deceased. Guwahati Commissioner of Police Partha Sarathi Mahanta said the preliminary investigation pointed to a possible dispute between the hotel owners and Gogoi over the lease agreement.

“Preliminary investigation and we suspect the incident stemmed from a dispute between the hotel owners and Gogoi over a lease agreement. Gogoi had taken the hotel on lease last year. The investigation is at an early stage, and all aspects are being examined.” “Four of the dead are from the same family and they are from hotel owners’ side. The fifth dead and the one injured are from the owners’ village,” Mahanta said.

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Mahanta added that the preliminary findings would be verified before any definitive conclusions were drawn. Investigators expected to establish a clearer picture of the incident by Tuesday. According to police, six people were shot, five of whom succumbed to their injuries. The sixth victim is receiving treatment at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. Hospital authorities identified the injured person as Satyen Pathak, 42, who sustained a bullet injury to his shoulder and remains under treatment.

A forensic and scientific investigation is underway, with specialised teams examining the crime scene and collecting evidence. Police said further investigations were being conducted to establish the complete sequence of events and determine the precise circumstances that led to the shooting.