The city turned bloody! An entire family was wiped out in a horrific fallout of a business conflict. Five people were killed and another person was critically injured in an indiscriminate firing incident at ‘Hotel Bilas Inn’ located on GS Road near Bora Service, the busy commercial area of Guwahati. The entire area was gripped by intense panic after this hair-raising murder that took place at around 9 pm on Monday night. Within just an hour of committing the crime, the city police arrested the accused leaseholder from Paltan Bazar.
According to police sources, the deceased have been identified as the hotel’s owner Helena Bharali, her son Devarshi Kashyap, daughter-in-law Riniki Kashyap, brother Bhudev Bharali and a roadside businessman Narayan Das. Four of the deceased were members of the same family.
The business family, originally from Barpeta, had been living for a long time at their residence on Palash Path in Senduri Ali, Guwahati. Meanwhile, the hotel’s caretaker Satyen Pathak (42), who was seriously injured in the firing, is currently undergoing treatment at Guwahati Medical College Hospital.
According to the investigation, the firing was carried out by a person named Ghanakanta Gogoi who had taken the hotel on lease. After taking the hotel on lease about a year ago, there had been a long-standing conflict between the owner family and leaseholder Gogoi over the agreement and monetary transactions. On Monday night, a heated argument broke out between the two sides over this at the hotel’s reception and first floor. At that time, the accused Ghanakanta Gogoi fired continuously targeting Helena Bharali and her family members directly with his licensed.32 bore pistol. Narayan Das, a roadside businessman who ran to the spot after hearing gunshots, was also killed in the firing.
It is to be noted that Devarshi and Riniki, who were killed in this firing, were parents of a one-and-a-half-year-old and a three-month-old child.
According to Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta, “This unfortunate firing incident occurred as a result of a property dispute arising out of the lease agreement of the hotel. Four of the five deceased are members of the owner family. The main accused Ghanakanta Gogoi has been apprehended from Paltan Bazar and the licensed.32 bore weapon used in the crime has been seized.”
A forensic expert and police team are currently present at the scene and continuing a detailed and scientific investigation of the entire incident.
