Guwahati: Barpeta traders kept businesses shut until 11 am on Thursday, demanding the death penalty for the accused in Monday’s Guwahati hotel shooting that killed five people.Ghanakanta Gogoi (34), who leased Hotel Bilas Inn in Sept last year, allegedly shot dead its co-owners Helena Bharali and her elder brother Bhudev Bharali, Helena’s son Debarshi, daughter-in-law Rinika and caretaker Narayan Das over financial disputes, police said. Gogoi surrendered to police within hours of the incident and is in custody.The victims’ bodies were taken to their home in Issapurhati, Barpeta, on Tuesday, where their last rites were performed.A Barpeta trader, who requested anonymity, said, “The Bharali family is respected. They have a legacy in business for decades. Their father Bilas Bharali, who established the Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati in the late 90s, was an affluent businessman and respected person in the Barpeta town.”Traders said they shut their establishments to condemn the killings, demand capital punishment for the accused and seek justice for the family.Dilip Bharali, the elder brother of Helena and Bhudev, runs Dilip Cinema on Barpeta Road.Congress MLA from Paka Betbari, Jakir Hussain Sikdar, who visited the family, demanded capital punishment and a fast-track trial.“We have never heard of such an incident earlier where someone opened fire and killed five persons in the heart of Guwahati city. It was an unprecedented and shocking incident, which is a matter of concern,” he said.Police are questioning Gogoi at Paltan Bazar police station. He has been remanded in police custody for seven days from Tuesday.
