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Amit Shah calls Farooq Abdullah, assures thorough probe into assassination attempt
Union home minister enquires about NC president’s well-being after 63-year-old pistol-wielding businessman opens fire at Jammu wedding on Wednesday night.
Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday called up National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah to enquire about his well-being following an assassination attempt in Jammu, assuring the former chief minister that a high-level investigation into the incident is underway.
Speaking to reporters in Jammu, Abdullah said: “I received a call from the Union home minister who asked about my well-being and assured me that they would investigate the matter thoroughly. The inquiry is essential.”
Thought it was firecracker
The attack occurred at 10.10pm on Wednesday at the Royal Park wedding venue in Jammu’s Greater Kailash area. Recounting the narrow escape, Abdullah said he was exiting the venue when he heard a sharp noise. “I thought it was the sound of a firecracker. My security immediately rushed me into a car. I was later informed that a man with a pistol had fired,” he said.
The assailant, identified as 63-year-old Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi, approached Abdullah from behind and reached point-blank range. Investigators revealed Jamwal discharged a shot from his licensed .32 caliber pistol before alert security personnel, including National Security Guard (NSG) commandos, overpowered him.
“The assailant managed to get right behind my neck, but at the last minute, security deflected his arm just as the trigger was pulled,” Abdullah added. While Jamwal is currently in custody at the Gangyal Police Station, Abdullah credited his personal detail for saving his life, noting a conspicuous absence of local police despite the presence of several dignitaries, including deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary and adviser Nasir Aslam Wani.
20-year personal vendetta
Preliminary interrogation of Jamwal, a local businessman living off rental income, has revealed a chilling, long-standing obsession. Jamwal told officials the attack was the culmination of two decades of animosity toward the NC patriarch. “I wanted to kill Farooq Abdullah for the past 20 years. Today I got the opportunity, but he was lucky to survive,” Jamwal reportedly told investigators.
While police noted the accused appeared inebriated at the time of the shooting, they have ruled out immediate terror links, focusing instead on a “radicalised personal grievance”. The weapon used was registered in Jamwal’s name.
More questions than answers
The incident sparked a fierce political row over the efficacy of Z+ security. Chief minister Omar Abdullah, who rushed to Jammu to meet his father, took to X to demand answers regarding the “colossal lapse”.
“There are more questions than answers at the moment, including how someone was able to get this close to a Z+ NSG-protected former CM,” Omar Abdullah said. Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary echoed these concerns, questioning the safety of ordinary citizens if such high-profile leaders remain vulnerable.
Cutting across party lines, leaders including PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti, CPI(M)’s MY Tarigami, and People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone condemned the cowardly act. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also expressed concern, questioning how an armed assailant breached the security cordon.
In response, Jammu and Kashmir Police are reviewing security protocols for all high-profile protectees, with plans to enforce stricter access control at private functions.
