6 victims, one pistol, no answers yet: Questions mount over Guwahati hotel shooting
Five killed and one injured at Hotel Bilas Inn; police form an SIT as forensic findings are awaited to establish how many rounds were fired and the sequence of events
How could a shooter fire at six people, killing five and injuring one, using a licensed .32-bore pistol? The question has emerged following Monday night’s deadly shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati, where police have confirmed six gunshot victims but have yet to disclose the number of rounds fired or the exact make of the weapon seized from the accused.
The incident has brought the pistol’s magazine capacity and the sequence of firing under scrutiny. However, without the forensic report, ballistic examination and post-mortem findings, it would be premature to conclude how many shots were fired or whether every round struck a victim.
Police constitute six-member SIT
The accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, 34, was arrested within an hour of the shooting. Police seized the licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the attack and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the incident.
Ankur Jain, Joint Commissioner of Police, Guwahati, will head the SIT. Its other members are Shambhavi Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central); Dr Debajit Nath, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime); Viku Achumi, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central); Inspector Kuleshjyoti Bhuyan, officer-in-charge of Paltan Bazar Police Station; and SI Abinash Das of the same police station.
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A .32-bore designation alone does not establish a firearm’s exact magazine capacity. The capacity depends on the make and model. Some .32 ACP pistols have magazines that hold seven rounds, with the possibility of an additional round in the chamber, depending on the firearm. But police have not publicly identified the make and model of the pistol recovered from Gogoi.
If the weapon had sufficient ammunition, firing six rounds without reloading would be technically possible. Whether six rounds were actually fired, however, remains unconfirmed. Police have not released the number of cartridge cases recovered in a manner that establishes the total number of shots discharged, nor have they detailed the ballistic evidence linking individual bullets to the victims.
‘Hotel dispute’ ends in bloodshed
The shooting took place after a dispute reportedly arose over the lease and management of Hotel Bilas Inn. According to the police, a meeting had been scheduled on October 26 to resolve the differences. An argument allegedly escalated into a physical altercation before Gogoi opened fire on six people.
Four people were found dead inside the hotel’s reception area, while two injured persons were found on the approach road. One of the injured later died at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), taking the death toll to five. The other survivor remains under treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Bhudev Bharali (65), a resident of Barpeta; Helena Bharali (58), Debarshi Kashyap (39) and Rinika Kashyap (30), all residents of Nabin Nagar, Guwahati; and Narayan Das (48), a resident of Barpeta.
The survivor, identified in the police account as Satyendra Pathak (43), a resident of Barpeta, is undergoing treatment at GMCH. The hospital superintendent, Devajit Choudhury, said the bullet passed through his right hand without damaging vital organs. His condition was stable, though he would remain in hospital for further tests. An earlier update from GMCH Principal Babul Kumar Bezbaruah had described his condition as critical.
Police await forensic findings
Police said forensic and Criminal Investigation Department teams examined the scene and collected evidence, including empty cartridge cases and live cartridges of .32 calibre. The findings of the scientific examination will be crucial in establishing the number of rounds fired and the sequence of the shooting.
Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta said the investigation was at a preliminary stage and that the facts needed to be verified. Police have not yet publicly established the precise sequence of shots or disclosed detailed ballistic findings.
“The accused Ghanakanta Gogoi who took this hotel on lease before one and a half year, fired at them from a close range. We already arrested him. The pistol which was used in the crime was also seized. The investigation is in preliminary stage. We have to cross-check, verify and reverify the facts,” Mahanta said.
According to the police account, the hotel owners entered into a five-year lease agreement with Gogoi on September 10, 2025, at a monthly rent of approximately Rs 1.8 lakh. Disagreements reportedly arose after Gogoi renovated the property, particularly over the use of the premises and the provision of certain facilities.
Family suspects pre-planned murder
The licence status of the weapon has also drawn attention. Although police have described it as a licensed pistol, they have not publicly clarified whose name the licence was issued in, its validity or the conditions under which the firearm could be possessed.
Members of the Bharali family have alleged that rent, electricity bills and other dues remained unpaid despite repeated requests. Helena Bharali’s elder brother, Dilip Bharali, said Gogoi had invited the family for discussions and that he, too, had been asked to attend the meeting but could not make it because of another assignment in Barpeta.
“Ghanakanta Gogoi took the hotel on lease a year and a half ago but did not pay any lease amount. Yesterday, he invited us for a discussion. I was also invited, but I could not attend the meeting because I was assigned to a puja committee in Barpeta. Had I been there, I would have met the same fate,” Bharali said.
He alleged that the meeting might have been pre-planned. “Ghanakanta invited them for a discussion. My sister, my nephew and his wife went there for the meeting. I suspect it was a pre-planned murder. Ghanakanta was prepared for the incident. I can’t narrate what happened,” he said.
Motive remains under investigation
Police have not officially established a motive. Investigators are examining the lease arrangement, its reported expiry, renewal discussions and allegations of unpaid dues as possible factors behind the shooting.
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The central questions now are how many rounds were fired, how the victims sustained their injuries and what the forensic evidence reveals about the shooting. Until the weapon is identified and the ballistic findings are made available, claims that every shot hit a target or that the shooter fired a specific number of rounds cannot be independently established.
Mahanta said Gogoi was not a hired assailant and was not related to the victims. The accused is being interrogated, and the investigation is continuing.
The shooting has raised concerns over public safety in Guwahati, particularly amid the growth of late-night bars and restaurants in and around the city. The circumstances of the attack and the sequence of events leading to the killings are now under investigation.
