Jammu, March 12: The man accused of attempting to assassinate Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah is currently in custody at Gangyal Police Station in Jammu.
The accused, identified as Kamal Singh, was apprehended after allegedly attempting to shoot Farooq Abdullah with a loaded pistol at a wedding ceremony held at Royal Park in the Greater Kailash area.
According to police, the National Security Guard (NSG) personnel assigned to protect Farooq Abdullah immediately intervened and successfully thwarted the assassination attempt. The firearm used in the incident has been recovered, and the accused, a resident of Purani Mandi in Jammu, is being interrogated. Police said cognisance has been taken, and further investigation is underway.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited his father's residence on Thursday following the attack.
Omar Abdullah described the incident as a close brush with death, questioning how the assailant managed to get so close despite the former CM being under Z+ NSG security cover.
"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 was asked to get within range to discharge a shot. It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot & ensured that the assassination attempt was foiled. There are more questions than answers at the moment, including but not limited to how someone was able to get this close to a Z+ NSG-protected former CM," Omar Abdullah posted on X.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Jammu and Kashmir police confirmed that an attempt was made on Farooq Abdullah's life during the wedding function. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary confirmed that all leaders present at the venue were safe but expressed concern over the security arrangements, terming it a serious lapse.
The incident has raised urgent questions about security protocols for high-profile leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, with authorities continuing to investigate the circumstances that allowed the assailant to approach Farooq Abdullah so closely.
