Man accused of killing 5 near Guwahati hotel shot dead in encounter: Police

A Guwahati-based businessman accused of shooting five people dead near a hotel last week was killed in an encounter early on Wednesday while allegedly trying to escape police custody, officials said.

Ghanakanta Gogoi, who carried out the murders reportedly over a dispute involving the lease of the hotel, was being taken from Guwahati to Sibsagar – around 350 km away – in connection with a separate case when the incident took place around 3:12 am, the officials added.

"When the team reached Gaurisagar, he said he wanted to answer nature's call. After he got down from the vehicle, he tried to snatch the service weapon of the investigating officer. A scuffle ensued,” Sibsagar senior superintendent of police Papori Chetia said.

“At this juncture, another policeman fired from his service weapon to save his senior officer. This led to Gogoi sustaining bullet injuries. He was taken to Sibsagar civil hospital where he was declared brought dead. One of our officers, who sustained injuries, has also been admitted there," she added.

On October 26, Gogoi allegedly shot six people, including the owner of Hotel Bilas Inn he had taken on lease. Five of them, including owner Helena Bharali (58), died on the spot. A dispute over the lease of the hotel near Bora Service area is suspected to have led to the shooting but a detailed probe is underway, the officials earlier said.

The accused was arrested the same day and after a week in police custody, was sent to judicial custody by a Guwahati court on Tuesday. But the police from Sibsagar district arrested him the same evening and were taking him there when he allegedly tried to escape.

Following the incident, family members of the deceased had demanded 'instant justice' instead of the accused being tried through proper legal process. Later, a district court in Kamrup Metro district directed the Guwahati police not to take the accused out of jail after sunset, after he appealed for adequate security. The police were also asked to ensure the accused's safety in custody.

"The court's directions are part of a process. But Gogoi is a criminal and also a shooter involved in a heinous crime. We were taking adequate care to ensure the team reached Sibsagar from Guwahati without any glitch, but there was a threat to the police team from Gogoi. Despite our efforts, our team had to resort to extreme measures to protect our team members," Chetia said.

She said Gogoi was also an accused in a cheating and forgery case in Sibsagar. He had taken loan for a vehicle using dubious means and following registration of a case, the police were on the lookout for him.

Initial investigations indicated Helena and her family were residents of Barpeta and shifted to Guwahati nearly two decades ago to establish businesses. Gogoi was in contact with the family for a few years.

“As far as our initial investigation is concerned, Gogoi had taken the hotel on lease from Bharali around a year ago, and they were involved in a dispute that could have led to the firing,” Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta earlier said.