Guwahati hotel shooting was a pre-planned attack, says survivor
Satyendra Pathak alleged that the accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, made multiple phone calls to the group before the October 26 shooting.
Satyendra Pathak, a survivor of the October 26 shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati, has alleged that the attack was pre-planned, according to The Assam Tribune. Pathak, who was discharged from Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Thursday after sustaining a shoulder injury, said the accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, called the group several times before arriving at the hotel.
Pathak stated that Gogoi called approximately four times to check if the group had arrived and said he was on his way. He said that after Debarshi parked a car in a lane, Gogoi arrived and spoke to Debarshi about the vehicle. Pathak noted that a commotion involving Helena Bharali and others led the group to rush towards the spot, where they saw Gogoi firing near the reception.
The shooting resulted in five deaths. Pathak said that after seeing Gogoi shoot Helena and Debarshi, he and Narayan Das ran into a computer room. He alleged that Gogoi followed them, shot Das, and then hit Pathak in the shoulder.
Pathak said he had met Gogoi several times before and had always known him as a calm person.
GMCH Director Dr Devajit Choudhury said Pathak was initially frightened, thinking the attacker was still alive, but felt relieved upon learning of Gogoi's death. Choudhury added that Pathak is recovering without fresh physical complications, though certain precautions will be followed.
Gogoi was killed in police firing in Sivasagar district early Wednesday. He had been taken into custody hours earlier regarding a separate bank loan fraud case from a decade ago. The post-mortem of Gogoi's body at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh was yet to begin on Thursday.