National Conference president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah narrowly escaped a gunshot attack when a man opened fire at him while he was leaving a wedding function in Jammu on Wednesday night, officials said.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s advisor Nasir Aslam Wani were accompanying Abdullah at the time of the incident.
The accused, identified as 63-year-old Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi in Jammu, was immediately overpowered by security personnel and taken into custody. Police said Jamwal told investigators that he had been waiting for an opportunity to target Abdullah for nearly two decades.
According to police, the incident occurred at a marriage ceremony held at Royal Park in the Greater Kailash area of Jammu. As Abdullah was leaving the venue, the gunman approached him from behind and fired a shot at close range. Members of the former chief minister’s security detail quickly intervened, preventing the attack from causing any harm.
Police said the weapon used in the attack, a licensed pistol, has been seized from the accused and further investigation is underway. CCTV footage from the venue reportedly shows the attacker approaching Abdullah and firing the shot from point-blank range.
Officials said the accused appeared to be intoxicated at the time of the incident. He was subdued by two officers from the security wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police—an inspector and a sub-inspector.
Abdullah and Choudhary had attended the event to congratulate party leader B S Chouhan on his daughter’s wedding and had been at the venue for more than an hour before the incident occurred.
Senior police officials ruled out a terror angle in the case. “There has been a firing incident using a licensed weapon at a marriage party where former chief minister Farooq Abdullah was present. The accused has been arrested and a detailed investigation is underway,” SP (City South) Ajay Sharma said in a statement.
Omar Abdullah said his father had a “very close shave” and credited the close protection team for preventing a tragedy. “A man with a loaded pistol managed to reach point-blank range and fire a shot. It was only the swift action of the protection team that deflected the shot and ensured the assassination attempt failed,” he said, while raising questions about how the attacker managed to get so close to a Z+ NSG-protected leader.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary described the incident as a serious security lapse, questioning how an armed person could enter the venue when senior political leaders were present.
Eyewitnesses said Abdullah had just finished dinner with guests and was leaving the wedding venue when the gunman fired. One witness claimed the accused identified himself as the chairman of an organisation called “Jagran Manch.”
Nasir Aslam Wani thanked the security personnel for acting swiftly and said the situation could have turned serious had the attacker not been overpowered in time. Police said the accused has been interrogated and further details will emerge as the investigation progresses.
