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‘Wanted to kill him for past 20 years’: Who is the gunman who tried to shoot J&K’s Farooq Abdullah?

J&K National Conference President Farooq Abdullah survived an assassination attempt on Wednesday evening during a wedding ceremony in Jammu. The attacker has been identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Jammu's Purani Mandi area

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) MP Farooq Abdullah was attacked in Jammu. File image/PTI

FP Explainers|Mar 12, 2026, 11:28:00 IST

In a shocking incident, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Farooq Abdullah survived an assassination attempt in Jammu while attending a marriage ceremony on Wednesday evening. The attacker tried to shoot at the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister at point-blank range.

A video of the attempted attack has gone viral on social media. The attacker has been identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, a 65-year-old resident of Puranas Mandi in Jammu. Police have ruled out a terror angle in the incident, saying that the shooter appeared to be drunk at the time of the incident.

Here is all you need to know about the incident.

How did the incident unfold?

Farooq Abdullah was attending a wedding in the Greater Kailash area of Jammu on Wednesday (March 11) when he was attacked by one of the guests.

He was attending the ceremony of the daughter of senior advocate DS Chouhan.

The man allegedly fired shots in the immediate proximity of Abdullah and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary. Advisor to Chief Minister Omar Nasir Aslam Wani was also present at the venue.

Abdullah arrived at the venue approximately 9:20 pm, and at 10:15 pm, the accused fired a pistol.

The firing reportedly occurred as both VVIPS were in the process of leaving the private ceremony.

Kamal Singh Jamwal who allegedly fired a shot targeting National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary at a wedding function, being detained by people before being handed over to security personnel, in Jammu on Wednesday. PTI

According to initial reports, a moment of chaos erupted as the shots rang out.

A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, which shows the attacker was just a few steps behind the J&K leader with his arm in line with Abdullah's shoulder.

In the video, the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos can be seen pushing the accused, which led to him missing his target. In the ensuing confusion, Abdullah escaped the attack.

The two leaders had been at the venue for more than an hour before the firing took place.

Ruling out a terror angle, Superintendent of Police Ajay Sharma stated on X that while a firing incident occurred using a licensed weapon, there was "no terror angle".

What did the police say?

Soon after the incident, the state police rushed to the spot and began preliminary inquiries.

The area was secured, and the accused was shifted for questioning.

A police investigation has begun to determine the exact sequence of events, the weapon used in the firing, and the motive behind the act.

Confirming the development, Jammu and Kashmir police in an official statement said, "An incident of firing was reported at a function where JKNC President Farooq Abdullah and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary were present. One person has been arrested. Investigation has been initiated, and further details are awaited".

Officials added that all angles are being examined, including whether the firing was intentional or accidental. The weapon allegedly used in the incident is also being examined as part of the investigation.

Who is the attacker?

The accused, who has been arrested, has been identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal.

He claims that he had been waiting for nearly two decades to carry out the attack.

A resident of the Purani Mandi area of Jammu, he is the son of Ajit Singh.
According to officials present at the incident, the attacker seemed to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

During questioning, Jamwal confessed that he had harboured a personal grudge against the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader for the past 20 years.

Kamal Singh Jamwal (centre) who allegedly fired a shot targeting National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary at a wedding function, being detained by people before being handed over to security personnel, in Jammu. PTI

"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 told the police, adding that Abdullah was "lucky to survive".

According to eyewitnesses, Jamwal described himself as the chairman of a little-known organisation, 'Jagran Manch'.

Reports suggest he earns his livelihood through rental income from several shops he owns in Jammu.

How did leaders react to the shooting?

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Farooq Abdullah's son, Omar Abdullah, expressed anguish over the incident.

Taking to the social media platform X, he wrote, "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 able to get within point-blank range and discharge a shot. It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot and ensured that the assassination attempt failed. 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."

Speaking to reporters outside the venue, Choudhary stated that this is a major security lapse and "no one from the local police was at the event".

Congress leader Tariq Hameed Karra took to X and said, "Strongly condemn the shocking firing incident on former CM Farooq Abdullah saab and other senior leaders reported in Jammu today. Such acts of violence are deeply disturbing and raise serious concerns about the prevailing security scenario in the region.”

With inputs from agencies