Guwahati: The accused in the Oct 26 city hotel shooting case was killed in police firing early Wednesday while allegedly trying to escape custody in Assam’s Sivasagar district.The incident took place at around 3.10 am on the national highway at Phulpanisiga when Ghanakanta Gogoi (34) was being taken to Sivasagar police station from Guwahati Central Jail in connection with a two-year-old case related to financial fraud.On Tuesday, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup (Metro) had sent Gogoi to jail in the shooting case.Sivasagar senior SP Papori Chetia said, “While transporting one wanted accused in a case registered at Sivasagar Police Station, he requested for a nature’s call and was taken out of the vehicle. Because he is a trained professional shooter, he tried to snatch the service pistol of our officer, who is also an investigating officer. During that scuffle, three rounds of bullets were fired… and to prevent further assault, one of the PSOs had to fire back from his service weapon in which the accused was also injured. When he was brought to the hospital, he was declared dead.”The injured sub-inspector, Debasish Sarma, was also admitted to Gaurisagar Civil Hospital.Gogoi (34), a businessman, was arrested on Oct 26 night after he shot dead five persons, including the owners of Hotel Bilas Inn, at Ulubari in Guwahati. This followed his surrender at Basistha Police Station.The shooting was allegedly triggered by a financial dispute between Gogoi and the Bharali family, which owned the hotel. Gogoi had taken the hotel on a five-year lease in Sept last year.Those killed in the firing were hotel co-owners Bhudev Bharali (65) and his sister Helena (58), her son Debarshi Kashyap (39), daughter-in-law Rinika Kashyap (30), and family staffer Narayan Das (48). Satyendra Pathak (43), the family’s driver, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).Notably, while remanding Gogoi to police custody on Oct 27, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Kamrup (Metro) had issued specific safeguards regarding his movement and custodial treatment. The court had directed that if Gogoi was taken out for the discovery of evidence between sunset and sunrise, he must be accompanied by adequate patrolling forces. It had also instructed that a deputy superintendent of police-rank officer accompany him during any such exercise.The court further directed police not to subject the accused to custodial torture and ordered the investigating officer to ensure that he underwent a medical examination every 24 hours during police remand.After the completion of his police remand, Gogoi was produced before the CJM court on Tuesday and was sent to judicial custody for 14 days. However, a police team from Sivasagar subsequently took him into custody from jail in connection with the separate case and took him to Sivasagar late Tuesday evening.
