Gunman’s 20-year plot to kill Farooq Abdullah fails at Jammu wedding

A dramatic assassination attempt on veteran Jammu and Kashmir leader Farooq Abdullah was foiled at a wedding function in Jammu on March 11 after a gunman opened fire at close range but missed the target, police said.

The accused, identified as 63-year-old Jammu resident Kamal Singh Jamwal, later told investigators that he had been planning to kill the former Chief Minister and National Conference chief for the past 20 years.

Authorities said there was no terror angle and that the shooter appeared to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

According to officials, Jamwal approached Abdullah from behind during the wedding reception and pointed a pistol at him from point-blank range before firing a shot. CCTV footage from the venue captured the moment of the attack. The bullet missed, and Abdullah’s security personnel immediately overpowered the gunman before he could fire again.

Police said the weapon used in the incident was a licensed firearm belonging to the accused. During interrogation, Jamwal allegedly told officers that the attack was driven by a “personal agenda”.

“I wanted to kill Farooq Abdullah for the past 20 years. The weapon is my own, issued to me,” he reportedly told investigators, adding that he had been waiting for an opportunity.

Officials said Abdullah had attended the wedding along with Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary to greet a National Conference leader whose son was getting married. The leaders had been at the venue for over an hour before the firing occurred.

Deputy CM also escapes unharmed

Choudhary, who was present at the venue when the shot was fired, also escaped unhurt in what officials described as a narrow escape. The pistol used in the attack was seized by police shortly after the incident.

Investigators said Jamwal was found in a drunken state and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol when he attempted the shooting. Witnesses at the wedding venue reportedly overpowered and beat the attacker before police intervened.

Eyewitness recounts chaos

An eyewitness, Rakesh Singh, said the firing occurred as Abdullah was leaving the venue after dinner with guests.

“He had finished dinner and was walking out when the gunman suddenly opened fire. Fortunately, the shot missed and he was unharmed. The attacker appeared drunk and claimed to be associated with some unknown ‘Jagran Manch’,” Singh said.

Omar Abdullah questions security breach

Reacting to the incident, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said his father had a “very close shave” and credited the close protection team with preventing a tragedy.

“Allah is kind. My father had a very close shave. A man with a loaded pistol was able to get within point-blank range and discharge a shot. It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot and ensured the assassination attempt failed,” Omar Abdullah wrote on X.

He also raised serious questions about how an armed person managed to get so close to a former chief minister with Z+ security protection.

‘Serious security lapse’: deputy CM

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary described the episode as a “serious security lapse”.

“When a former Chief Minister, a Deputy Chief Minister and other senior leaders are present at an event and someone can walk in with a gun, it raises serious questions about the security arrangements,” he said.

Police have launched a detailed investigation into the incident and are examining how the accused managed to reach within firing range of Abdullah despite the high-security cover.