Accused Guwahati businessman killed in police encounter while being transferred
Ghanakanta Gogoi, charged with the murder of five people in a hotel lease dispute, died after a scuffle with police during his transfer from Guwahati to Sibsagar.
A businessman from Guwahati who was charged with shooting five people dead near a hotel last week was killed in an encounter early Wednesday while being transferred to Sibsagar, officials said. Ghanakanta Gogoi was on a police convoy heading to the district about 350 km away when he allegedly attempted to escape.
"When the team reached Gaurisagar, he said he wanted to answer nature's call. After he got down from the vehicle, he tried to snatch the service weapon of the investigating officer. A scuffle ensued," senior superintendent of police Papori Chetia said.
Chetia added that another officer fired his weapon to protect the senior officer, wounding Gogoi. He was taken to Sibsagar civil hospital where he was declared dead. One police officer injured in the incident was also admitted to the same hospital.
The alleged shooting took place on October 26, when Gogoi reportedly opened fire on six people, including hotel owner Helena Bharali, killing five of them. Police said a dispute over the lease of Hotel Bilas Inn near the Bora Service area was a possible motive. Gogoi had been arrested the same day, spent a week in police custody and was sent to judicial custody by a Guwahati court on Tuesday before being taken to Sibsagar.
Family members of the victims had earlier demanded immediate justice, while a district court ordered that the accused not be moved after sunset and that his safety be ensured in custody. "The court's directions are part of a process. But Gogoi is a criminal and also a shooter involved in a heinous crime. We were taking adequate care to ensure the team reached Sibsagar from Guwahati without any glitch, but there was a threat to the police team from Gogoi. Despite our efforts, our team had to resort to extreme measures to protect our team members," Chetia said.
Gogoi was also facing charges in a cheating and forgery case in Sibsagar, related to a loan obtained through dubious means. Initial investigations indicated that the lease dispute with hotel owner Helena Bharali, who had taken over the property about a year earlier, may have triggered the shooting, according to Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta.