An assassination attempt was made on former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who narrowly escaped after a gunman opened fire at close range during a wedding event on Wednesday evening.
According to multiple Indian media reports, the attacker fired at point-blank range while Abdullah was attending a wedding ceremony in the Greater Kailash area. However, a security commando on duty pushed the assailant at the crucial moment, causing the shot to miss its target and leaving the veteran leader unharmed.
Reports cited by NDTV said the suspect, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, managed to approach within a few steps of Abdullah despite the latter being under Z-Plus security, India’s highest category of security protection.
Video footage from the wedding venue shows the attacker standing just a few steps behind Abdullah with a gun aimed toward his shoulder. As he fired, National Security Guard (NSG) commandos quickly intervened, pushing him and causing the bullet to miss.
Security personnel immediately overpowered and detained the attacker, while people present at the venue were also seen assaulting him before authorities took him into custody.
In another video recorded after his arrest, the suspect can be seen sitting on a chair and telling police that he is a resident of Purana Mandi in Jammu.
During initial questioning, the suspect reportedly told police:
“I have been waiting for this moment for 20 years.”
Police later said the man appeared to be intoxicated at the time of the incident, and he is currently being interrogated to determine the motive behind the attack.
Authorities have launched a detailed investigation into the security breach and the circumstances that allowed the attacker to get so close to the heavily protected political leader.
