Guwahati hotel firing: Prime accused taken to residence for search, stopped from speaking to media

The prime accused in the Guwahati Hotel Bilas Inn firing case, Ghanakanta Gogoi, was prevented from speaking to the media by police personnel while being escorted out of his rented accommodation in the city on Friday. 

Gogoi was taken to his rented house in the Saukuchi area by a police team for a search operation. After the search, officers escorted the handcuffed accused towards vehicles parked inside the premises. 

As he was being taken out, the 34-year-old removed his face mask and appeared to say something to reporters waiting outside the gate. However, his words were inaudible. Police personnel immediately pushed him back and stopped him from addressing the media.

Police officers did not disclose whether anything had been seized during the search.

Gogoi is accused of opening fire at Hotel Bilas Inn on October 26, killing five people, including four members of a family, and injuring another. The incident followed a dispute between the hotel's property owners and Gogoi, who was the leaseholder, over its management.

He was arrested soon after the firing incident. Police also recovered a licensed .32-bore pistol allegedly used in the crime. A court remanded him to seven days of police custody on Tuesday. 

The police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the incident. The bereaved family has alleged that the attack was planned and demanded exemplary punishment for the accused. (with inputs from PTI)