The fatal shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Bora Service area has taken a new turn, with reports suggesting that the accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, was wearing camera-equipped Meta smart glasses that may have recorded events surrounding the incident.
Five people, including four members of the same family, were killed and another person was injured in the shooting at around 9 pm on 26th October . Guwahati Police arrested Gogoi and seized the .32-calibre pistol allegedly used in the attack, Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta confirmed.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the shooting may have stemmed from a dispute over the lease of Hotel Bilas Inn. Gogoi had reportedly taken the hotel on lease around a year ago, and discussions over the renewal of the agreement are believed to have preceded the incident.
As per reports, Gogoi had allegedly failed to pay rent for a year and had outstanding electricity bills. Police are investigating whether these financial disputes contributed to the attack.
The deceased have been identified as hotel owner Helena Bharali, her son Devarshi Ishan Kashyap, his wife Rinika Hijam Bharali, Helena’s brother Bhudev Bharali and Narayan Das, reportedly Bhudev’s caretaker. The shooting left Devarshi and Rinika’s two young children, aged seven and two, without their parents.
Satyendra Pathak, a driver, sustained gunshot injuries and is undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
If the smart glasses recorded the incident, the footage could help establish the sequence of events. However, it remains unclear whether any recordings have been recovered or verified by police.
Further investigation is underway.