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SINGAPORE: NTU professor Chan Kap Luk says he was attacked by his student David Widjaja with an 18-centimetre knife as he sat in his office.
Testifying at the coroner's inquiry into Widjaja's death on Thursday, Associate Professor Chan said the student turned up in his office on the March 2 at about 10.25am without making a prior appointment.
Widjaja was supposed to have met the professor a few days before that but did not appear.
Assoc Prof Chan said he was at his computer when Widjaja came to see him.
While they discussed Widjaja's final year project, Assoc Prof Chan said the student sounded nervous.
During the discussion, Assoc Prof Chan turned away for a moment and felt a punch on his back. When he turned around, he saw a knife coming at him.
Assoc Prof Chan said that his immediate reaction was to block the knife with his right arm and he fell in the process. A struggle followed and he shouted for help, but no one responded.
The professor said he managed to pry the blade of the knife from Widjaja's hand, which broke in the process, injuring the professor's right index finger.
Assoc Prof Chan said he kicked Widjaja and went for the door but was blocked by the student. They struggled and the professor managed to push him aside and ran out.
The professor said that he glanced back at Widjaja because the student was shouting at him and blaming him for starting the whole thing.
The bloodstained knife was produced in court.
The Widjaja family was seeing Assoc Prof Chan for the first time since the student's death. But they did not get a chance to talk to him as he was in the witness stand.
Their previous attempts to meet him were unsuccessful.
- CNA/yt
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