Guwahati: A dispute over the lease of a family-run hotel in Guwahati allegedly escalated into a late-night shooting that left five people dead and one wounded, police said. Among the victims were four relatives who owned the establishment. The alleged gunman was taken into custody shortly after the attack.
The firing took place at Hotel Bilas Inn, located along GS Road in the city’s Bora Service area, at approximately 9 pm on Monday.
According to investigators, six persons were hit by bullets. While five later died, the sixth — identified by hospital officials as 42-year-old Satyen Pathak — suffered an injury to his shoulder and is being treated at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital.
Police identified the accused as Ghanakanta Gogoi, who they said had leased the property from its owners last year. He was apprehended within an hour of the incident, and officers recovered a licensed .32-bore pistol believed to have been used in the shooting, as reported by WION.
Lease Dispute Under Scanner
Guwahati Commissioner of Police Partha Sarathi Mahanta said early findings indicated that tensions between the hotel’s owners and Gogoi over the lease arrangement may have triggered the violence. He, however, stressed that investigators were still examining all possible angles.
“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.
The police chief added that the initial conclusions would need to be corroborated before authorities arrive at any firm finding. Officials expect a clearer account of what happened to emerge by Tuesday.
Forensic Teams At Scene
The identities of those killed have not been made public so far. Specialised forensic and scientific units have been deployed to inspect the site, gather physical evidence and reconstruct the chain of events leading up to the gunfire.
Police said the probe would continue to establish the exact circumstances of the attack and verify whether the lease disagreement was the sole trigger for the violence.
