Guwahati, Oct 27: The death toll in the shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Ulubari area rose to five, with the prime accused, identified as Ghanakanta Gogoi, apprehended within an hour of the incident, Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta said on Monday night.
The shooting took place around 9 pm at the hotel situated at South Sarania, leaving six people with gunshot injuries.
Four people died on the spot, while a fifth succumbed to his injuries at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The sixth person is undergoing treatment.
Police have arrested Gogoi and seized the licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the shooting.
“The accused has been apprehended within an hour of the incident. A proper scientific investigation is on to bring the case to its logical conclusion, and we will update as and when we get more details,” the police commissioner said.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the shooting stemmed from a dispute over the hotel’s lease agreement and related property matters between Gogoi and the owner.
“What appears from the preliminary investigation, this incident stemmed from a property dispute related to the lease agreement of the hotel,” Mahanta said.
Clarifying Gogoi’s role, the commissioner said he is not a hired assailant.
According to Mahanta, four of the five deceased belonged to the hotel owner’s family, while the fifth was from the same village as the owner. The injured person undergoing treatment also hailed from the same village.
Police said the names of the deceased would be confirmed before being formally disclosed.
Investigators are examining documents and other evidence to establish the circumstances that led to the shooting. Mahanta said that, to the police’s knowledge, no first information report had previously been filed in connection with the dispute.
With Gogoi in custody and the firearm seized, police are continuing their probe into the alleged lease-related dispute.