Sixty-four-year-old Kamal Singh Jamwal, who allegedly attempted to assassinate former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and president of the National Conference, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, confessed during initial questioning that he had been planning to kill the veteran leader for the past two decades.
"For the last 20 years, I have been planning to kill Dr. Farooq Abdullah. Today I got the opportunity at the marriage function, but I missed the chance," Jamwal was heard saying in a video that has gone viral on social media.
An attempt was made to assassinate National Conference president and former Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah when a man fired a pistol at him at around 10:30 pm on Wednesday night. Dr. Farooq Abdullah narrowly escaped the attack. Security officials said that if the NSG commandos had been even a few seconds late, the consequences could have been serious.
According to reports, Kamal Singh Jamwal had been hatching the plan for nearly two decades and attempted to execute it on Wednesday night. His alleged confession to the police has sent shockwaves through political circles.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah had arrived at a wedding ceremony at Royal Park in Greater Kailash, Jammu, when the incident took place. The accused, Kamal Singh Jamwal, was also present at the function. Seizing the opportunity, he attempted to carry out the attack, but the veteran leader escaped unharmed.
After being apprehended by Farooq Abdullah's security personnel, Jamwal reportedly showed no remorse during initial interrogation. He stated that he had wanted to kill Dr. Farooq Abdullah for the past 20 years and claimed that eliminating the National Conference leader had been his motive.
Jamwal told the police that he had attended the wedding of the son of his cousin, Shatrujit Singh. He said he was invited to the function and believed it was an opportunity to carry out the attack, but his attempt failed.
He also told investigators that he does not work and earns his livelihood from rent received from two clothing shops he owns.
The accused has also previously contested a councillor election in Jammu.
Reports said Kamal Singh Jamwal, son of Ajit Singh Jamwal and a resident of Purani Mandi, has been active in politics since his youth. He was earlier associated with the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party and had contested the councillor election from Ward No. 11 in Purani Mandi on the party's ticket.
People attending the wedding ceremony said they were initially unaware of the incident due to the loud DJ music and the sound of firecrackers. The sudden commotion drew everyone's attention to the scene.
Once people realised what had happened, there was a brief moment of panic. The music and firecrackers were immediately stopped. Police soon reached the venue, asked the guests to remain calm, and began their investigation.
"It is Allah's grace that everything is safe"
Chief Minister's advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, who arrived at the scene, said, "It is Allah's grace that everything is safe. Thanks to everyone's prayers, Dr. Farooq Abdullah is completely fine and will speak about the incident on Thursday."
Leaders had gathered for party member's family wedding
Several political leaders, including Farooq Abdullah, had gathered at the wedding ceremony of the daughter of a member of the party's legal cell. They had been at the venue for nearly an hour.
As Dr. Abdullah was leaving the venue, Kamal Singh Jamwal allegedly approached him from behind and pointed a pistol at him. Alert security personnel immediately pushed the attacker down, causing the bullet to be fired into the air. Jamwal was overpowered and later handed over to the police.
Venue cleared after the incident
Following the incident, the venue was cleared of most guests. The wedding ceremony continued with only close family members present. Most of the guests left the venue, and the ceremony concluded peacefully.
Investigation demanded
Cabinet Minister Satish Sharma, while speaking on social media late at night, said that the incident must be thoroughly investigated and the motive behind the attack should be established.
