Five Killed Including Owner in Shooting at Hotel in Assam's Guwahati, Leaseholder Arrested

Five people have been killed in a shooting at a hotel in Guwahati, Assam, India. Another person was seriously injured. The incident took place on Monday local time at Hotel Bilas Inn in the Bora Service area of Guwahati.

Police believe from the preliminary investigation that the shooting stemmed from a dispute between the hotel's owner and its leaseholder. The accused leaseholder, Ghankanta Gogoi, has been arrested over the incident.

The dead are hotel owner Helena Bharali, her son Debarshi Kashyap, Debarshi's wife Riniki Kashyap, family relative Narayan Das and Helena's brother Bhudev Bharali.

Another person related to the family, Satyendra Pathak, who was shot, is undergoing treatment at Guwahati Medical College. He is reported to be responding to treatment.

Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta told reporters that six people in total were shot. Five of them died and one is under treatment. A licensed .32 bore pistol used in the attack has been recovered. The accused is being questioned.

The police commissioner said the preliminary investigation suggests the incident resulted from a property dispute over the hotel's lease agreement. He added that all the dead and injured were related to the hotel owner, and that the person who had leased the hotel opened fire.

An investigation is under way into what happened before the incident and how the shooting began. Police said more information will come to light as the investigation progresses.

Assam Pradesh Congress president Gaurav Gogoi has expressed concern over Guwahati's law and order situation following the shooting. In a social media post, the Jorhat MP offered condolences to the victims' families and wrote that the incident has raised serious concern over public safety and law and order in Guwahati, and that Himanta Biswa Sarma, as chief minister and home minister, must take responsibility for it.