Jammu: The man accused of opening fire at Farooq Abdullah during a wedding function in Jammu allegedly told police that he had been waiting for two decades for the opportunity to assassinate the veteran leader.
The accused, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, 63, reportedly said after his arrest that the attack stemmed from a “personal agenda.”
According to police, the incident occurred when Abdullah was leaving a marriage ceremony in the Greater Kailash area of the city. Jamwal allegedly approached the National Conference leader from behind and fired a shot from a licensed pistol at close range.
The bullet missed Abdullah as members of the close protection team immediately intervened and overpowered the attacker.
Security personnel from the National Security Guard and the Jammu and Kashmir Police, deployed with the Z+ protectee, quickly detained the accused and seized the firearm used in the attack.
During preliminary questioning, Jamwal reportedly showed no remorse. When asked by a police officer why he wanted to kill Abdullah, he allegedly replied: “Today I got the chance to kill him, but he survived.” Pressed further about his motive, he said he had his “own mission.”
Reports quoting eyewitnesses said the attacker placed the revolver behind Abdullah’s back before firing but missed the shot. People present at the function and security personnel immediately overpowered him. Jamwal was briefly beaten by some attendees before being handed over to the police.
At the time of the incident, Abdullah was accompanied by Surinder Choudhary and Nasir Aslam Wani.
Reacting to the incident, Omar Abdullah said his father had a “very close shave” and credited the close protection team for preventing a tragedy.
Police said a case has been registered and further investigation is underway. CCTV footage from the venue has also surfaced showing the gunman approaching Abdullah from behind before being tackled by security personnel. No injuries were reported.
