Jammu

A man accused of attempting to assassinate Farooq Abdullah, chief of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, has been taken into custody and is being interrogated at Gangyal Police Station, police said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Kamal Singh, was apprehended after he allegedly tried to shoot Abdullah with a loaded pistol during a wedding ceremony at Royal Park.

According to police officials, personnel of the National Security Guard (NSG) assigned to Abdullah’s security immediately intervened and foiled the attempt. The firearm used in the incident has been recovered.

Singh, a resident of the Purani Mandi area of Jammu, is currently being questioned while further investigation into the incident is underway.

Following the attack, Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, visited his father’s residence.

Describing the incident as a close brush with death, Omar Abdullah raised concerns about how the assailant managed to approach the former chief minister despite his Z+ security cover provided by the NSG.

“Allah is kind. My father had a very close shave. The details are sketchy at the moment, but what is known is that a man with a loaded pistol got within range to fire. It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot and ensured the assassination attempt was foiled,” Omar Abdullah said in a post on X.

He added that several questions remain, particularly regarding how the attacker was able to get so close to a Z+ protected leader.

Earlier, Surinder Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, confirmed that an attempt was made on Farooq Abdullah’s life during the wedding function. While all leaders present at the venue were safe, he described the incident as a serious security lapse.

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Authorities are continuing their investigation into the circumstances that allowed the accused to approach the senior leader so closely, raising concerns over security protocols for high-profile political figures in the region.