GUWAHATI: Ghanakanta Gogoi, the prime accused in the October 26 deadly Guwahati hotel firing incident which left five people dead and one injured, was killed in a police encounter in the wee hours of Wednesday.
The encounter took place at a location falling under the Gaurisagar Police Station in Sivasagar district. A Sivasagar police team was taking him to the upper Assam district in connection with another case registered against him.
Sivasagar Senior Superintendent of Police Papori Chetia said Gogoi was wanted in a Punjab National Bank (loan fraud) case and the police were searching for him.
“Our team was bringing him from Guwahati. When the team reached Gaurisagar (in Sivasagar), he wanted to go out to urinate. While he was being taken, he attempted to snatch the service weapon of the investigating officer. This led to a scuffle. Three shots were fired from the weapon, badly injuring the officer,” the SP said.
“To save the officer, the personal security officer fired from his service rifle, in which Gogoi was injured. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead,” the SP further stated.
The injured police officer, Sivasagar Town Police Sub-Inspector Debashish Sharma, was admitted to a hospital.
Gogoi was remanded to 14-day judicial custody on Tuesday.
Earlier, the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Guwahati directed the Assam Police to ensure his safety, after his legal counsel had raised concerns about a potential fake encounter.
The firing incident in Guwahati’s Hotel Bilas Inn was linked to a dispute relating to lease and management of the property.
The hotel owners had entered into a five-year lease agreement with the accused on September 10 last year, at a monthly rent of around Rs 1.8 lakh.
Following renovation of the property by the accused, disagreements reportedly arose regarding the use of the premises and provision of certain facilities.
Of the five people who lost their lives in the firing, four belonged to the family of the hotel owners.
