Guwahati, Nov 4 (PTI) The prime accused in the Guwahati hotel firing incident that had claimed five lives was killed in police firing in Assam's Sivasagar district on Wednesday while he was allegedly trying to escape from custody, a senior officer said.
The encounter took place in the Gaurisagar area while he was being brought to Sivasagar in connection with a separate case, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Papori Chetia said.
Ghanakanta Gogoi (34) was arrested by Sivasagar police in a 2024 bank fraud case on Tuesday, hours after being sent to judicial custody by a court in Guwahati in the firing incident.
“He is a trained shooter and an experienced person with different weapons. When he alighted from the police vehicle to relieve himself, he tried to snatch the service weapon of our investigating officer. There was a scuffle with the accused, and our officer was badly injured. To save our officer, the Sivasagar Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge had to fire,” Chetia said.
Gogoi sustained a bullet injury and was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead, the SSP said.
Five people, including four from a business family, were killed and another person was injured in the firing incident at Hotel Bilas Inn in Bora Service area of Guwahati on the night of October 26 in connection with an alleged dispute between the owners of the property and its leaseholder over the management of the hotel.
