Police release CCTV showing point-blank shooting at Guwahati hotel, caretaker survives

CCTV footage from Monday night shows a man entering a shop area of Hotel Bilas Inn and firing at caretaker Satyendra Pathak at close range. Pathak was hit, fell to the floor and was later taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for treatment, where he remains in care.

The incident left five people dead, including hotel owner Helena Bharali, her brother Bhudev Bharali, her son Devarshi Kashyap, daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap and Narayan Das. Six individuals were injured; four were found dead inside the hotel reception and two were taken to the hospital, one of whom later died.

Police Commissioner Dr. Partha Sarathi Mahanta said the shooting occurred around 9 p.m. and appears to have been triggered by a dispute over the hotel’s lease and management. The accused, 34-year-old Ghanakanta Gogoi, the hotel’s leaseholder, was arrested within an hour of the incident. A .32-bore licensed pistol used in the shooting was seized, and investigators recovered empty cartridge cases and live .32-calibre rounds from the scene.

A six-member Special Investigation Team, headed by Joint Commissioner of Police Ankur Jain, has been constituted to examine forensic evidence, record witness statements and reconstruct the sequence of events. Gogoi is currently in custody and being questioned.

"The weapon used in the incident, a .32-bore licensed pistol, has been seized. Interrogation is underway, and preliminary investigation suggests that the incident stemmed from a property dispute related to the lease agreement of the hotel," Police Commissioner Mahanta said.