Investigators are examining whether a dispute over the renewal of an expired hotel lease and alleged unpaid dues triggered the shooting at a Guwahati hotel that claimed five lives and left one person injured.
Guwahati, Assam : Investigators probing the shooting incident at a hotel on the city’s GS Road that left five people dead are examining a dispute linked to the renewal of the property’s lease agreement as a possible trigger behind the violence.
According to preliminary findings, a meeting was underway at Hotel Bilas Inn near Bora Service on Monday night to discuss the renewal of the hotel’s lease after the existing agreement had expired. The discussions allegedly turned contentious, culminating in the fatal shooting.
Police have identified the accused as Ghanakanta Gogoi, who had been operating the hotel on lease for about a year. Investigators are looking into allegations that substantial rent and electricity dues remained unpaid and are seeking to determine whether financial disagreements contributed to the confrontation.
The deceased have been identified as Helena Bharali, her son Debarshi Ishan Kashyap, his wife Rinika Kashyap, Helena’s brother Bhudev Bharali and Narayan Das, who was reportedly serving as Bhudev’s caretaker.
The incident has also left behind two minor children, aged seven and two, who lost both their parents in the tragedy.
One person, Satyendra Pathak, sustained injuries in the shooting and is undergoing treatment at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
Police said a .32-calibre pistol was allegedly used in the attack. Gogoi has since been arrested, and investigators are reconstructing the sequence of events leading up to the shooting.
While the probe is still in its early stages, officials said the circumstances surrounding the expired lease and negotiations over its renewal are among the principal aspects being examined as part of the investigation into the case.
