Guwahati, Nov 6 (IANS) The body of Ghanakanta Gogoi, the prime accused in the Guwahati hotel firing case that claimed five lives, was handed over to his family following a post-mortem examination at the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh, officials said on Friday.
The autopsy was conducted in the presence of forensic medicine experts from three medical institutions, in keeping with the prescribed procedures for cases involving deaths in police custody.
Gogoi, 34, was killed in a police encounter in Assam’s Sivasagar district early on Wednesday. Police had claimed that he attempted to escape from custody while being taken to Sivasagar in connection with another case.
An AMCH official said the post-mortem was delayed due to the time required to coordinate the presence of forensic experts from three different medical colleges. The examination continued for more than three hours. After the completion of the procedure, the body was brought out of the Forensic Medicine Department and handed over to Gogoi’s family at around 7.10 p.m.
The family later left for their residence with the body. The encounter occurred in the Gaurisagar area at around 3.10 a.m. on Wednesday.
Gogoi had completed seven days in police remand in connection with the hotel firing case and was sent to judicial custody by a local court on Tuesday. Hours later, he was arrested from Guwahati Central Jail in connection with a separate bank fraud case registered in 2024.
Gogoi, the leaseholder of Hotel Bilas Inn, was arrested after the October 26 shooting at the hotel in Guwahati’s Bora Service area along GS Road. Five members of the Bharali family and a staff member were killed when gunfire erupted at the hotel, while the family’s driver sustained injuries.
Police alleged that a dispute over the management and use of the property led to the violence.
According to police, disagreements had surfaced after Gogoi undertook renovations at the property. A meeting was scheduled on October 26 to settle the dispute, but an argument allegedly turned violent, following which Gogoi opened fire.
The Assam Police had formed a six-member Special Investigation Team to probe the killings. The bereaved family had described the attack as premeditated and demanded stringent action against those responsible.
–IANS
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