Five Killed in Guwahati Hotel Shooting After Dispute Between Owner and Leaseholder; One Arrested

Yugcharan News / 27-10-2026

Five people were killed and one person was critically injured after a shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati, Assam, on Monday, October 26, following a dispute between the hotel owner and the person who had taken the property on lease, according to police. The incident occurred in the Bora Service area of the city, prompting a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Police have arrested the alleged accused, identified as Ghanakanta Gogoi, who had taken the hotel on lease. According to Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta, preliminary findings suggest that the shooting stemmed from a dispute related to the hotel's lease agreement. Police have seized a licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the incident, while questioning and further investigation are underway.

The incident has raised concerns about public safety in Guwahati. Authorities are continuing to establish the sequence of events and examine the circumstances that led to the fatal confrontation.

Five Victims Identified

The five people who died in the shooting have been identified as Helena Bharali, the owner of Hotel Bilas Inn; her son, Devarshi Kashyap; her daughter-in-law, Riniki Kashyap; Narayan Das, a relative of the family; and Bhudev Bharali, Helena Bharali's brother.

According to the police account reported by NDTV, all the victims were associated with the hotel owner. The shooting also left another person, Satyendra Pathak, injured.

Pathak, who is related to the family, sustained gunshot injuries and was admitted to Guwahati Medical College for treatment. At the time of the report, he was responding to medical care.

The deaths of several members and relatives of the same family have made the incident particularly serious. Investigators are working to determine the precise circumstances in which the victims were shot and whether any further factors contributed to the confrontation.

Police Say Dispute Over Lease Agreement Led to Shooting

Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta told reporters that six people sustained gunshot wounds during the incident. Five of them died from their injuries, while one person remained under treatment.

According to Mahanta, the preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting was connected to a property dispute involving the hotel's lease agreement.

The police commissioner also stated that the leaseholder was responsible for the shooting, according to the initial findings. The weapon recovered by investigators was described as a licensed .32-bore pistol.

The seizure of the firearm forms part of the ongoing investigation. Police are questioning the arrested accused and examining the available evidence to establish the full sequence of events.

While the initial police account points to a dispute over the hotel lease, the investigation remains underway. Further details about what happened before the shooting, the nature of the disagreement and the events immediately preceding the attack are awaited.

The alleged role of the arrested individual will be subject to the ongoing investigation and legal proceedings.

One Person Arrested, Investigation Continues

Guwahati Police have arrested Ghanakanta Gogoi in connection with the shooting. He has been identified as the person who had taken Hotel Bilas Inn on lease.

Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the dispute and the use of the firearm. The police have confirmed that the weapon has been seized and that interrogation is continuing.

The investigation is expected to establish the sequence of events at the hotel and clarify the circumstances in which the six people sustained gunshot injuries.

At present, the information released by police identifies a dispute concerning the lease agreement as the preliminary motive. However, the complete findings of the investigation have not been reported.

Authorities have not provided further details about the specific terms of the lease, the duration of the dispute or whether earlier complaints had been made in connection with the property.

These details remain relevant to understanding how the disagreement escalated into a shooting that left five people dead.

Gaurav Gogoi Raises Law and Order Concerns

The incident has also prompted a political response in Assam. Gaurav Gogoi, president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and a Member of Parliament from Jorhat, expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

In a social media post on October 26, Gogoi said he was deeply saddened by the firing incident at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

He also raised concerns about public safety and the law and order situation in the city. Gogoi called on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds responsibility for the Home Department, to pay greater attention to crime and ensure a thorough investigation.

The Congress leader urged the authorities to bring those responsible to justice and take concrete measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

His remarks represent the opposition's political response to the shooting. The police investigation into the incident remains separate from the political criticism surrounding law and order in the state.

Questions Remain as Police Examine the Case

The shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn has left five people dead, another person injured and a family grieving multiple losses. The initial police findings point to a dispute between the hotel owner and the leaseholder as the immediate context of the incident.

However, several details remain unclear, including the precise sequence of events, the nature of the disagreement and whether there were earlier developments that could help explain how the confrontation escalated.

Police have confirmed the arrest of the alleged accused, the seizure of the firearm and the continuation of interrogation. Further information is expected as investigators examine the evidence and establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

The case also highlights the importance of determining the facts through a thorough investigation rather than relying on preliminary accounts alone. The allegations against the arrested individual will need to be addressed through the appropriate legal process.

For now, the confirmed details from the reported police briefing are that five people died, one person was injured, an arrest has been made and a licensed .32-bore pistol has been seized. The investigation into the fatal shooting in Guwahati remains ongoing.