Assassination bid on Farooq Abdullah: Spl DGP Gillani to head probe panel to report in 3 days

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: A day after the sensational firing incident, targeting National Conference President Farooq Abdullah at a wedding function here, the Jammu and Kashmir Government on Friday constituted a high-level probe team headed by Special Director General of Police S.J.M. Gillani to investigate the alleged security lapse.
The panel has been asked to submit its report within three days.
The Court on Thursday remanded the accused, Kamal Singh Jamwal (63), to five-day police custody for detailed interrogation.
Jamwal was produced before the court amid tight security arrangements. Police sought custody stating that further questioning was required to determine the motive behind the firing and to ascertain whether the accused had links with any individual or organisation. The court, after hearing both sides, granted the remand and directed police to ensure a medical examination of the accused every 24 hours during custody.
According to officials, Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi in Jammu, allegedly opened fire at Farooq Abdullah during a marriage ceremony held at a banquet venue in the Greater Kailash area on Wednesday night. Abdullah had attended the function to bless the newly-wed couple, the daughter of a party colleague. Security personnel at the venue quickly overpowered the accused before any harm could be caused.
Speaking briefly to reporters while being taken to court, Jamwal said, “I have not done this at the behest of anyone. I have fired at him.” However, senior police officials said preliminary investigations suggest that the accused acted alone, and there is no indication of a larger conspiracy so far. They added that Jamwal was under the influence of liquor at the time of the incident.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of law, including attempt to murder and illegal use of a firearm, and have begun a comprehensive probe into the accused’s background. Investigators are examining his personal, social and possible organisational connections as well as his recent movements to establish the exact motive behind the attack.
Officials said that Jamwal told interrogators he had been waiting for an opportunity for nearly 20 years to target Abdullah, though he did not explain the reason behind the alleged grudge.
Jamwal reportedly earns his livelihood from rent generated by a few shops owned by him in the city.
Police are also reviewing the security arrangements at the venue to determine how the accused managed to enter the function carrying a weapon. The incident has triggered widespread concern and condemnation, prompting the government to order the high-level inquiry headed by Spl DGP S.J.M. Gillani to examine possible lapses.
Investigators said Jamwal had earlier been associated with Jagran Manch, a socio-political group, and later joined the National Panthers Party. He had also unsuccessfully contested a municipal election from his ward in the past.
Father of three children, including two daughters, Jamwal had accompanied the Baraat to the venue as a close relative of the groom’s family when the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, senior officers continue to question him as part of the ongoing investigation while the government-appointed panel begins its probe into the circumstances and security lapses leading to the firing.