Srinagar, March 20 -- Khan (62) shot himself using his security personnel's SLR rifle inside his official accommodation in the Tulsibagh government quarters here, they said.

BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur, while confirming the incident, said the former MLA has died due to suicide.

It was not immediately known as to why Khan took the extreme step.

Khan, who was elected to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly in 1996 as an Independent candidate, had joined BJP in 2020 and unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls on the party ticket last year.

Police, in a statement, said it has taken cognizance of the incident and launched legal proceedings.

"An incident of firearm discharge was reported today in the Tulsibagh area of Srinagar, resulting i...