Hotel Bilas Inn Mass Shooting: Questions Mount Over Accused Ghanakanta Gogoi’s Licensed Pistol, Previous FIRs

Guwahati, October 27, 2026: Five people were killed and another sustained gunshot injuries after a shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in the Bora Service area of Guwahati on Monday night, October 26. The accused, identified as Ghanakanta Gogoi, who had reportedly taken the hotel on lease, was arrested within an hour of the incident. Police suspect that a dispute over the hotel’s lease agreement triggered the shooting, although the precise motive remains under investigation.

The incident has sent shockwaves across the city, particularly after four members associated with the hotel-owning family lost their lives in the attack. A fifth victim, reportedly connected to the family through their village, was also killed.

## Five Lives Lost in the Firing

According to reports, the deceased include hotel co-owner Helena Bharali, her son Debarshi Ishan Kashyap, her daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap, her brother Bhudev Bharali and Narayan Das, who was reportedly associated with the family as a caretaker.

The shooting took place at around 9 pm, when six people sustained gunshot injuries. Five subsequently succumbed to their injuries, while the sixth victim, identified in reports as Satyen or Satyendra Pathak, was taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment.

Hospital authorities said the surviving victim was in stable condition. His injuries were being treated, and further medical assessment was required.

The five deaths have left a family devastated and raised serious questions about how a dispute over a commercial property could escalate into such a deadly incident.

## What Led to the Shooting?

Preliminary police findings point towards a dispute between the hotel’s owners and Gogoi, who had taken the property on lease around a year ago.

A report published by *The Assam Rising* on October 27 stated that the lease agreement had expired and discussions over its renewal had emerged as a key angle in the investigation. The report also referred to allegations of unpaid rent and outstanding electricity dues, which investigators are yet to establish as the definitive cause of the shooting.

According to the emerging account, a disagreement reportedly broke out during discussions concerning the lease. However, the exact sequence of events leading to the firing has not been conclusively established.

Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta said the preliminary investigation suggested that the incident stemmed from a property dispute related to the hotel’s lease agreement. He also confirmed that the investigation was at an early stage and that a scientific examination was underway.

Police have not yet publicly established the complete circumstances that led Gogoi to allegedly open fire on the people associated with the hotel owners.

## Licensed Pistol Seized; Questions Over Firearm Licence

One of the major questions emerging from the incident concerns the firearm allegedly used in the killings.

Police have confirmed the seizure of a licensed .32-bore pistol suspected to have been used in the shooting. The weapon was recovered following Gogoi’s apprehension, and investigators have begun examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The fact that the firearm was licensed has prompted questions about when the licence was issued, the grounds on which it was granted and whether the relevant authorities had any prior information that could have affected the licensing decision.

However, as of October 27, publicly available reports have not established when Gogoi obtained the licence, which authority issued it, or whether any concerns were raised during the licensing process. These details require confirmation from the relevant licensing authority and the investigating police.

The recovery of a licensed firearm in a case involving five deaths makes it important for investigators to establish the weapon’s ownership, licensing history and compliance with applicable rules.

## Were There Previous FIRs Against the Accused?

Questions have also arisen over claims that multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) may have been registered against Gogoi in Assam before the shooting.

However, this report could not independently verify the claim that three or four FIRs had previously been registered against him. No reliable, publicly accessible record establishing the number, nature or status of any such cases was found in the reports reviewed as of October 27.

The investigating authorities would need to clarify whether any previous cases existed, whether they involved criminal allegations relevant to public safety, and whether any of those records had a bearing on the firearm licence.

It is important to distinguish between an FIR, an allegation and a conviction. The existence of a previous FIR, if confirmed, would not by itself establish guilt in that case.

## Accused Reportedly Seen Wearing a Mask

Another development requiring verification concerns reports that Gogoi was seen wearing a mask while being taken out of a police station on October 27.

The reported appearance has drawn attention amid public questions about the case and the circumstances surrounding the accused’s arrest. However, this report could not independently confirm the specific circumstances in which he was seen wearing a mask, the location and timing of the appearance, or the reason for it.

Any images or video footage of the accused leaving the police station should be checked against the original recording and an official police account before the detail is presented as an established development.

Gogoi was apprehended in the Paltan Bazar area within an hour of the shooting, according to the police commissioner. The investigation and questioning are continuing.

## Two Children Left Without Their Parents

Among the most distressing consequences of the shooting is the loss suffered by the two young children of Debarshi and Rinika Kashyap, who reportedly died in the attack.

According to *The Assam Rising*, the couple had a seven-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son. Both children have now lost their parents in the incident.

The deaths have left the family facing an unimaginable personal tragedy, with the children’s future now a matter of deep concern for relatives and the wider community.

Accounts surrounding the family have also drawn attention to the personal loss beyond the immediate circumstances of the shooting. Any descriptions of the deceased’s temperament or personal character should be attributed to relatives or people who knew them, rather than presented as independently established facts.

The incident has consequently become more than a case involving a suspected property dispute. It has left two young children without their parents and devastated an entire family.

## Investigation Continues

Police have arrested Gogoi and seized the suspected weapon. Forensic and scientific examinations are underway to establish the sequence of events, while investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding the lease dispute.

Several questions remain unanswered: What precisely happened during the discussions over the lease? What prompted the alleged shooting? When and under what circumstances was the firearm licence issued? Were there any previous FIRs against the accused? And what evidence will establish the sequence of events inside the hotel?

These questions will need to be addressed through the investigation and official records rather than speculation.

The available information establishes that five people were killed and one person was injured, while the suspected lease dispute remains the principal line of inquiry publicly identified by police.

This is a developing story. Further details will be updated as verified information emerges from the police investigation and official sources.