Five people died and several others suffered gunshot wounds late Monday after a property lease dispute erupted into gunfire at a hotel along GS Road in Guwahati, prompting an immediate police response and the swift arrest of the suspect.
Dispute at Hotel Bilas In Triggers Late-Night Shooting in Guwahati
The violence unfolded on Monday night in the Lachit Nagar and Bora Service areas of Guwahati, an economic hub in northeastern India. A confrontation between a property owner and a lessee at Hotel Bilas In turned fatal when gunfire broke out inside and outside the commercial establishment, which sits roughly two kilometers from the Assam Police headquarters. According to initial reports, the shooting began at approximately 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. on October 26, 2026, sending panic through the busy commercial district.
Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta confirmed that six people sustained gunshot injuries during the altercation. Five victims died, while one person is undergoing treatment. The sole survivor of the shooting was identified by a senior GMCH physician as Satyen Pathak, whose condition remains stable.
Witnesses and local reports noted that the gunfire echoed through the lane near a commercial showroom close to the property, creating widespread panic among local residents and bystanders. Preliminary findings indicate that the armed assailant opened fire on a group of six individuals, which included two women, as well as a hotel employee who was struck during the melee.
Arrest of Lessee Gogoi and Recovery of the .32-Bore Pistol
Investigators moved quickly following the incident, apprehending the primary suspect within an hour of the shooting in the Paltan Bazar area. Police identified the detained man as Ghankanta Gogoi, the individual holding the lease on the hotel property. Authorities recovered a licensed .32-bore pistol from the suspect, which preliminary examinations indicate was the weapon used in the killings.
Today an unfortunate incident of firing took place. Six people sustained bullet injuries, out of which five died. One person is undergoing treatment.
Partha Sarathi Mahanta, Police Commissioner, via ThePrint Hindi
Investigators established that Gogoi had leased the hotel approximately a year prior to the shooting. Police noted that Gogoi was neither a hired gunman nor a family member of the victims, and law enforcement teams immediately secured the surrounding area to collect physical evidence and record statements from witnesses.
Casualties and Local Security Concerns
Among the dead were individuals closely tied to the property owner, Helena Bharali, whose property was leased to various parties. Local reporting established that four of the victims belonged to a single family, while a fifth deceased person hailed from their home village. The wounded survivor also shares that village origin. Other identified victims included Helena Bharali, Deborshi Kashyap and Narayan Das, while authorities worked to verify the remaining identities before making formal public announcements.
The scale of the violence drew immediate political reaction.
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Shootout in Guwahati in Hotel Vilas Inn, opposite Bora Service Station, Lachitnagar. pic.twitter.com/jx6AwbBX9l
Ambulances lined up outside Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Bora Service area following a reported shooting incident in which four people were allegedly killed. Further details are awaited. #Guwahati #GuwahatiNews #AssamNews #GuwahatiShooting #HotelShooting #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/3yhmRzuEti