On October 26, 2026, the routine operations of the Hotel Bilas Inn, a familiar establishment situated on GS Road in Guwahati, opposite the Bora Service station, were abruptly and violently interrupted. What began as a business matter quickly devolved into a scene of profound loss. By the time the gunfire ceased, five people had been killed, leaving behind a community in shock and a single survivor to grapple with the aftermath of an event that would leave two young children—one aged seven and the other aged two—without their parents.
The violence appears to be rooted in the mundane, bureaucratic friction of a commercial lease. The accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, had reportedly taken the hotel on lease approximately one year prior to the incident. As the anniversary of that agreement approached, discussions regarding the renewal of the contract became increasingly fraught. According to investigators, the relationship between the lessee and the property had soured significantly, with allegations that Gogoi had failed to pay rent for the duration of the year and had accumulated substantial outstanding electricity bills. These mounting financial pressures, rather than a sudden outburst, appear to be the catalyst for the tragedy.
Mass shooting at a hotel in Guwahati, Assam. 5 people reported dead. #BreakingNews #Guwahati #Assam https://t.co/EuZPxHzHq4
As police began their investigation into the massacre, they made a discovery that has added a layer of modern complexity to the case. Ghanakanta Gogoi was reportedly wearing a pair of Meta smart glasses at the time of the shooting. These devices, which are equipped with integrated cameras, are designed to capture the wearer’s perspective in real time. For law enforcement, these glasses represent a potential gold mine of evidence, as they may have recorded the events leading up to and during the attack. Investigators are currently examining the hardware to determine if the footage was successfully captured and stored, a detail that could prove pivotal in reconstructing the sequence of events.
Ghanakanta Gogoi was reportedly wearing a pair of Meta smart glasses at the time of the shooting.
The response from local authorities was immediate. Following the shooting, a manhunt ensued, leading to the swift capture of the suspect. Partha Sarathi Mahanta confirmed the outcome of the search, stating, "Ghanakanta Gogoi was arrested in the Paltan Bazar area shortly after the shooting." The arrest brought an end to the immediate threat, but it did little to soothe the grief of the families affected by the loss of the five victims.
A mass shooting unfolded in the heart of Guwahati on Monday evening when the leaseholder of Hotel Bilas Inn opened fire with a licensed pistol following an escalated dispute over unpaid rent and lease terms. The attack wiped out four members of the property owner's family and a driver, leaving the local community in shock and prompting swift police action. #TheSentinel #Guwahati #FiringIncident
In the wake of the incident, the tragedy has drawn broader scrutiny, with figures such as Gaurav Gogoi expressing critical views on the state of security in the region. The shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn has forced a difficult conversation about how business disputes can escalate into such extreme violence, and whether the tools of the digital age—like the smart glasses worn by the accused—will ultimately serve as the definitive witness to the crime. As the investigation continues, the focus remains on the forensic analysis of the seized technology and the legal proceedings that will follow, leaving the residents of Guwahati to reconcile with the reality of a tragedy that turned a local business into a crime scene.