A man accused of attempting to shoot former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah at a wedding in Jammu on Wednesday told investigators he had been planning the attack for two decades.
Police have not verified the claim but said they have ruled out any terror angle in the incident.
The accused, identified as 63-year-old Jammu resident Kamal Singh Jamwal, told police that he used his own licensed firearm during the attempted attack.
“I wanted to kill Farooq Abdullah for the past 20 years. It was my personal agenda. The weapon is my own, issued to me,” Jamwal reportedly told investigators, according to India Today.
CCTV Shows Gunman Approaching From Behind
CCTV footage from the venue shows Jamwal walking up behind Abdullah and pointing a pistol at him from close range.
Before he could fire, however, the former chief minister’s security personnel quickly intervened and overpowered him. Abdullah was unharmed.
The incident occurred at Hotel Royal Park in the upscale Greater Kailash area on the outskirts of Jammu.
Police said Jamwal was found in an intoxicated condition and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol when the incident took place.
After the attempt, people present at the venue, including some workers from the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, allegedly assaulted the accused before he was taken into custody.
Deputy Chief Minister Was Present at Venue
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary was also present when the incident unfolded.
According to officials, Abdullah and Choudhary had attended the function to congratulate a National Conference leader on the occasion of his son’s wedding. The two leaders had reportedly been at the venue for more than an hour before the attempted attack occurred.
Police said the pistol used in the incident has been seized from Jamwal. The case is under investigation.
