Farooq Abdullah, J&K Deputy CM escape unhurt in attack by gunman in Jammu; accused held

Jammu: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary escaped unhurt in an attack by a gunman outside a marriage hall in the outskirts of Jammu on Wednesday night, officials said.

The accused, Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi, was overpowered by security guards and was whisked away for questioning, they said.

The incident took place at posh Greater Kailash locality of Jammu when Abdullah and the deputy chief minister were coming out of a marriage function, the officials said.

They said the accused, who is in his 70s, was waiting outside the venue and tried to fire on Abdullah. However, two police personnel – an inspector and a sub-inspector – overpowered him but he still managed to fire one shot before he was disarmed and taken into custody.

No one was injured in the firing, the officials said, adding Jamwal was allegedly in an inebriated condition.

Abdullah and Choudhary had come to greet party leader B S Chouhan on the marriage of his son, the officials said.