Man enters Karnataka Lokayukta’s chamber, stabs him four times

BENGALURU: A man with a knife walked into MS Building, the nerve centre of the state administration, on Wednesday afternoon and stabbed Karnataka Lokayukta P Vishwanath Shetty in his office at least four times before being overpowered and arrested.

Justice Shetty, 73, was stabbed in the chest, abdomen, hand and thigh in what police said was an attempt to murder him. He underwent multiple surgeries later in the day at Mallya Hospital. Doctors said his condition was stable.

Opposition parties said the security breach showed a “complete breakdown of law and order” in the state and questioned the common man’s safety if the Lokayukta was not safe in his office. CM Siddaramaiah said a probe was on and action would be taken if any laxity was found.

Justice Shetty would have suffered more harm had his gunman, usher and others not rushed in on hearing him scream. The gunman held his rifle to the assailant, 33-year-old Tejraj Sharma, while the others overpowered him.

Sharma belongs to Jaipur and had settled in Tumakuru. In the business of supplying furniture to government offices, Sharma had not won a single bid and had registered multiple complaints with the Lokayukta against at least 18 government officials who he claimed were corrupt and therefore denying him the projects. The ombudsman’s office had closed these complaints, saying the charges were untrue, and police suspect that this could have prompted the attack on Justice Shetty. “I was wronged. I am angry,” Sharma continued to mutter as he was taken into custody.



It was near lunch hour, around 12.45 pm, that Sharma entered the Lokayukta’s office in MS Building, a stone’s throw from the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the government. Having entered his name in the visitors’ register, he met Lalithamma, the assistant registrar (enquiry), and returned to the reception asking to meet Shetty.

He obtained a visitor’s chit which he was to hand over at Shetty’s office on the first floor and wait for his turn to meet the ombudsman. Eyewitnesses said Sharma appeared tense and impatient and even made two trips to the first floor. He finally mustered up the courage and went to Shetty’s office a little after 1 pm.

“This man had visited the Lokayukta before and we did not suspect him when he walked in again on Wednesday. First he walked into the chamber of the personal assistant and handed them the visitor’s slip. After that he came out and stood in the corridor for seven-eight minutes,” said gunman Purushottam. Police constable Subramani and jamadhar (usher) Palaniswamy were also outside the office.

At around 1.25 pm, Sharma consulted Subramani who asked him to wait as a group of government advocates and case workers were with Shetty. About five minutes later the group left and Sharma entered Shetty’s chambers.

Soon after, people outside heard a scream. “It must have been two or three minutes after Sharma entered the chamber. We heard Shetty sir screaming. On entering, we saw Sharma swinging his knife at Justice Shetty. He held the Lokayukta’s chair with his left hand and held the knife in his right hand. Subramani and Palani ran towards him and I held my service rifle at him. He stopped the attack. We then tied his hands using his shirt,” said Purushottam.

“Soon, two personal assistants of the Lokayukta rushed into the chamber and I asked them to bring water,” Palaniswamy said. Shetty was clutching his stomach and his head was bent. After giving him water, the staffers pushed the Lokayukta’s chair towards the lift and took him to the ground floor. A car took Shetty to hospital at around 2pm.

Shetty was admitted to the emergency ward and taken in for surgery at about 2.30 pm. He was wheeled out around 6 pm after multiple surgeries. He is stable, doctors said.

The attack jolted the administration and drew fire from the opposition. Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda said the government had been trying to kill the institution of Lokayukta and the attack was another blow. Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda of BJP tweeted that “lawlessness prevails” in Karnataka.

“The Lokayukta had been provided security, there was even a gunman outside,” CM Siddaramaiah said, adding, “However, a lot of people come visiting his office and this man was one such visitor. I’ve asked the DG to conduct a thorough probe and action will be initiated if it finds lapses in security.”