Guwahati shooting: Court orders safety measures for accused Ghanakanta Gogoi
Synopsis
Five days after the deadly Hotel Bilas Inn shooting in Guwahati's Lachit Nagar killed five people, a CJM court stepped in to shield the prime accused from possible custodial harm — barring police from moving him before sunrise or after sunset and mandating medical checks every 24 hours. The order invokes the Supreme Court's landmark D.K. Basu safeguards, signalling judicial vigilance in a case already charged with public tension.
Key Takeaways
Guwahati's CJM court on 28 October 2026 directed Assam Police to protect accused Ghanakanta Gogoi from custodial violence.
The Hotel Bilas Inn shooting on 26 October in Lachit Nagar , Guwahati, killed five people and injured one.
Police are barred from moving Gogoi before sunrise or after sunset ; any movement requires a DSP-rank officer to accompany him.
Gogoi must undergo medical examinations every 24 hours while in custody.
The investigating officer has been directed to comply with the Supreme Court's D.K.
Basu vs State of West Bengal guidelines on custodial safeguards.
A .32-calibre pistol allegedly used in the shooting has been seized; police cite a hotel lease dispute as the motive.
A court in Guwahati on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, directed Assam Police to guarantee the physical safety of Ghanakanta Gogoi, the prime accused in the Hotel Bilas Inn shooting of 26 October that killed five people and left one more injured. The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court issued the directive after Gogoi's advocate raised fears of custodial violence or a possible encounter killing.
Key Directions Issued by the Court
The CJM court laid down a series of mandatory safeguards that Assam Police must follow while Gogoi remains in custody. Police have been barred from torturing the accused and are required to ensure he receives adequate food, drinking water, and other basic necessities during interrogation.
The court also ordered that Gogoi undergo medical examinations every 24 hours and that police provide enhanced security, particularly during the night. Critically, officers have been prohibited from taking Gogoi out of custody before sunrise or after sunset. If he must be moved — for interrogation or recovery of evidence — an officer of at least Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) rank must accompany him.
The court further cautioned that police personnel would be held personally responsible if the accused escaped from custody. The investigating officer was also directed to comply with the Supreme Court's guidelines in the landmark D.K. Basu versus State of West Bengal case, which sets down the foundational safeguards against custodial abuse in India.
The Accused and His Arrest
Gogoi, 34, was arrested on 26 October, within hours of the shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati's Lachit Nagar area. According to Guwahati Police Commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta, the arrest was made within an hour of the incident. He was produced before the CJM court on 27 October and remanded to seven days of police custody. Investigators also seized a .32-calibre pistol allegedly used in the shooting.
What Triggered the Shooting
According to police, the violence stemmed from a dispute over the hotel's lease agreement. The disagreement reportedly escalated ahead of a meeting intended to resolve the property-related conflict. Allegations of unpaid rent and outstanding electricity dues have also emerged in connection with the dispute, according to reports. Police are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the lease, which had reportedly expired, and discussions over its renewal.
Gogoi's lawyer has claimed that his client acted in self-defence. However, that claim has not been independently established, and the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation.
Broader Significance of the Court Order
The directive reflects an ongoing concern in Indian judicial practice — ensuring that accused individuals in high-profile cases, especially those facing severe charges, are not subjected to extrajudicial harm while in custody. This is the D.K. Basu framework in direct operation: the Supreme Court's 1996 ruling continues to be invoked by trial courts across India to hold law enforcement accountable at the custodial stage.
The case has triggered widespread concern in Guwahati, and police are expected to file further updates with the court as the investigation progresses.
Point of View
Yet his lawyer's apprehension of an 'encounter' was credible enough for a court to act pre-emptively. That tension — between public outrage over a mass shooting and judicial insistence on due process — defines the hardest edge of criminal justice. How Assam Police handles this custody will be as closely watched as the investigation itself.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Guwahati Hotel Bilas Inn shooting?
A shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati's Lachit Nagar area on 26 October 2026 killed five people and left one person injured. Prime accused Ghanakanta Gogoi, 34, was arrested within an hour of the incident, and a .32-calibre pistol allegedly used in the shooting was seized.
Why did the court issue safety orders for the accused?
The Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Guwahati issued the directives after Gogoi's advocate raised concerns that his client could face custodial torture or an encounter killing while in police custody. The court acted pre-emptively to ensure due process is followed.
What specific safeguards did the court order?
The court directed that Gogoi must not be tortured, must receive adequate food and water, must undergo medical checks every 24 hours, and cannot be moved before sunrise or after sunset without a DSP-rank officer present. Police were also directed to follow the Supreme Court's D.K. Basu guidelines on custodial conduct.
What was the motive behind the Hotel Bilas Inn shooting?
Police say the shooting stemmed from a dispute over the hotel's lease agreement, which had reportedly expired. Allegations of unpaid rent and outstanding electricity dues have emerged, and the confrontation reportedly escalated ahead of a meeting meant to resolve the property dispute.
Has Gogoi's self-defence claim been verified?
No. Gogoi's lawyer has claimed that his client acted in self-defence, but that claim has not been independently established. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation, and Gogoi has been remanded to seven days of police custody.
