Five people were killed and one person was injured in a shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in the Bora Service area of Guwahati, Assam, on Monday night, October 26, 2026. The incident reportedly took place during a meeting concerning the hotel’s lease agreement and an alleged dispute over unpaid rent. The accused has been identified in media reports as Ghanakanta Gogoi.
According to reports, the shooting occurred at around 9 pm, although an initial Hindustan Times report placed the incident at around 10 pm. Early reports indicated that at least four people had died, while subsequent reports stated that the death toll had risen to five, with one person injured.
The deceased were identified in the supplied reports as Helena Bharali, owner of Hotel Bilas Inn; her son, Devarshi Kashyap; her daughter-in-law, Rinika Kashyap, also referred to as Riniki Kashyap in one report; Helena’s brother, Bhudeo Bharali; and Narayan Das, aged 30.
Narayan Das was reported to be from Nimua, near Barpeta Road, and a resident of Khutabari village in the Dhupdhara area of Goalpara district. He worked as a painter and electrician and had reportedly been associated with Bhudeo Bharali for around 22 years. According to the News18 report, he travelled to Guwahati with Bhudeo on Monday. The report stated that Narayan died from a gunshot wound to the face.
Reports also stated that Helena Bharali was shot at close range. Her daughter-in-law, Rinika Kashyap, reportedly sustained gunshot wounds to the chest and head, while Bhudeo Bharali was reportedly shot in the back. These details were reported by News18 Assam and have not been independently verified here.
Satyendra Pathak, a caretaker working at the hotel, was reported to have been shot in the right shoulder. He survived the incident and was receiving medical treatment, according to the supplied report.
The victims were reportedly taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for treatment. However, the supplied reports do not consistently distinguish between those who died at the scene and those who were taken to hospital.
Helena Bharali’s elder brother, Dilip Bharali, reportedly survived because he did not attend the meeting. According to News18 Assam, he had also been invited but was unable to attend because he was occupied with other work. The report suggested that he might have been at risk had he attended, but this remains hypothetical.
According to preliminary information reported by the media, the hotel had been leased to the accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, and the lease agreement had recently expired. Helena Bharali’s family alleged that the accused had not paid rent for approximately six months. The family reportedly suspected that the shooting was connected to a dispute over the hotel lease and its possible cancellation.
Nav Bharali, a relative of Helena Bharali, reportedly said that the family had gathered to discuss the lease agreement and the collection of rent. There were also allegations that water and electricity connections had been cut off. According to the account provided, the shooting occurred during the discussion.
India Today NE reported a different account from the accused’s family. Ghanakanta Gogoi’s sister-in-law alleged that a group of seven people attacked him as he was getting out of his car. She claimed that he sustained a head injury and opened fire to protect himself because he feared that he would otherwise be killed.
According to the family’s account, Gogoi called his brother shortly after the shooting and told him that he had been attacked. His sister-in-law further claimed that he later went to a police station and surrendered, where he reportedly narrated his version of events to the authorities.
These claims have not been independently verified. The accused’s family’s account does not establish that the shooting was carried out in lawful self-defence. Investigators will need to establish the sequence of events and examine the available evidence before the circumstances can be determined.
Hindustan Times reported that Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta had said that at least four bodies had been recovered and sent for postmortem examination during the initial investigation. The report stated that police were examining the case and that further details were awaited at the time of publication.
The incident reportedly occurred in a lane near a Kalyan Jewellers outlet, adjacent to Hotel Bilas Inn in the Bora Service area. Police teams reached the location and launched an investigation into the firing.
Related reports listed in the supplied material included coverage of the lone survivor’s condition, the accused’s reported earlier fraud case in Jorhat, and the possibility that Meta smart glasses worn by the accused could provide clues. These were listed as separate news developments; the supplied text does not establish their full details or findings.
The shooting has raised questions about the reported lease dispute, the events leading up to the confrontation, and the accused’s claim of self-defence. The motive and precise sequence of events remain subject to police investigation. Allegations made by relatives of the victims and the accused should not be treated as established findings until supported by evidence or official statements.
References
- News18 Assam – Hotel Bilas Inn shooting and Helena Bharali’s elder brother
- India Today NE – Guwahati shooting and the accused’s family’s self-defence claim
- Hindustan Times – Initial report on the Guwahati hotel shooting
0 Comments