Jorhat/Guwahati, October 27: Assam Police on Tuesday formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the shooting at a Guwahati hotel that left five people dead, even as allegations emerged that the accused had threatened people with a firearm during a property dispute in Jorhat in 2024.
The SIT, constituted “in view of the gravity of the incident,” will be headed by Joint Police Commissioner Ankur Jain. It includes DCP (Central) Shambhavi Mishra, DCP (Crime) Debajit Nath, ADCP (Central) Viku Achumi, Inspector Kuleshjyoti Bhuyan, officer-in-charge of Paltan Bazar police station, and Sub-Inspector Abinash Das of the same station. An official statement said the team was formed to ensure a thorough, scientific and expeditious investigation.
Five people, including four members of a family, were killed in the firing at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Ulubari area on Monday night. Police suspect the shooting stemmed from a dispute between the hotel’s property owners and its leaseholder, Ghanakanta Gogoi, who has been arrested. Investigators are probing the suspected lease-related dispute behind the attack.
While the SIT examines Monday’s incident, allegations have surfaced about an earlier episode involving Gogoi in Jorhat in 2024. Madhurjya Goswami accused Gogoi of threatening people with a firearm during a property dispute, claiming the accused was handed over to Pulibor police but released within hours.
According to Goswami, he had advertised his house on OLX when Gogoi approached him with his wife and three-year-old daughter, expressing interest in renting it. Gogoi allegedly introduced himself as the owner of JK Construction, a real estate business, and agreed to purchase the house, valued at Rs 64 lakh, with half the amount payable when the agreement was made and the balance at the signing of final documents. Goswami alleged that nearly a month passed without Gogoi paying the agreed advance.
When Goswami pressed for payment, Gogoi allegedly threatened legal action. During a subsequent argument, three unidentified men emerged from the house after Gogoi called out to someone, he claimed. “Before leaving, Ghanakanta threatened me, saying, I will shoot everyone today,” Goswami alleged, adding that Gogoi displayed a pistol and threatened to kill people.
Goswami said local residents apprehended Gogoi and handed him over to Pulibor police, and that the accused was released at around 10.30 pm that night. He said he asked Gogoi to vacate the house the following day, after which Gogoi left for Guwahati, leaving his wife and daughter behind. The two reportedly vacated the property a few days later.
A local villager, who requested anonymity, separately alleged that Gogoi pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him during the same dispute. He claimed residents caught Gogoi as he tried to leave and handed him to police, who released him within hours. The villager further alleged that the vehicle in which Gogoi had arrived has since been identified in connection with Monday’s Guwahati shooting.
The allegations concerning the 2024 incident, including the claimed threats and the circumstances of Gogoi’s release, could not be independently verified by The Assam Tribune.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/guwahati-shooting-sit-formed-jorhat-landlord-recalls-accuseds-2024-gun-threat-1621317
Category: Assam,Featured
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Publish Date: 2026-10-27 17:26:00
