5 Of A Family Dead in 90 Seconds: Licensed Nagaland Gun, Camera Glasses: Shocking Details In Guwahati Hotel Shooting

A routine lease settlement meeting inside a commercial building turned into a bloody carnage on Monday night after a tenant opened fire with a licensed firearm, wiping out an entire family and their associates within minutes.

The mass execution occurred around 9 PM at Hotel Bilas Inn, situated in a lane off GS Road in the Bora Service commercial area—barely two kilometres from the Assam Police Headquarters. Police arrested the accused, leaseholder Ghanakanta Gogoi, within an hour of the crime from Paltan Bazar and seized a .32-bore pistol.

Chilling Prep Behind Commercial Carnage

Fresh details emerging from the police probe indicate the attack was far more calculated than a sudden outburst over unpaid rent. Investigating officers revealed that Gogoi was wearing specialized spectacles fitted with a hidden camera during the shooting, leading forensic teams to examine whether he intended to record the execution-style killings.

Adding to administrative scrutiny, the firearm used in the crime—a .32-calibre pistol—was licensed in Nagaland. Investigators are currently auditing how an out-of-state arms license was being carried and operated within commercial premises in central Guwahati. Gogoi’s vehicle, impounded near the scene, also displayed a prominent 'PRESS' sticker, which police suspect was used to evade regular security checks.

Point-Blank Range Murders Over Rent Terms

The shooting wiped out the family of late Dhruba Bharali, a prominent businessman from Barpeta whose family inherited the hotel property. His widow, Helena Bharali, had leased the management of Hotel Bilas Inn to Gogoi roughly a year ago. Rising financial friction over overdue lease payments and administrative control brought the family to Guwahati on Monday night for a reconciliation meeting.

During heated discussions inside a hotel room, Gogoi drew his weapon and began firing at point-blank range. Four victims died on the spot: Helena Bharali, her son Devarshi (Eshan) Kashyap, her daughter-in-law Rinisha, and her brother Bhudev Bharali. A fifth victim, family associate Narayan Das, succumbed to a fatal shot to the mouth. The sole survivor, 42-year-old Satyendra Pathak, sustained a bullet wound to his shoulder and remains under trauma care at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

"Based on preliminary investigation, we suspect the incident stemmed from a property dispute related to the lease agreement," stated Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta. "All the deceased were associated with the hotel owner's side, and the leaseholder opened fire on them directly."

Opposition Questions Security Vetting

The proximity of the crime scene to major police headquarters triggered an immediate political reaction across Assam. Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi targeted Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the state Home portfolio, over public safety protocols.

The opposition raised urgent questions regarding how out-of-state firearm permits are tracked across state lines and how private commercial disputes can escalate into multi-fatality shootings in heavily policed urban hubs. Scientific and forensic units continue to process the crime scene alongside ballistic assessments of the seized Nagaland-registered weapon.