A policeman was allegedly manhandled by the son of an accident victim as the former tried to prevent the latter and his friends from assaulting another man on the premises of the Government Hospital, Mettupalayam, on Saturday.
Sundaramoorthy, head constable with the Mettupalayam police station, was manhandled by Anith Kumar (26), son of Devaraj from Kumarapuram on Annur Road.
The police said that Devaraj and his wife Sreedevi were injured after a two-wheeler rammed them on Annur Road late on Friday. They were admitted to the Mettupalayam GH.
Mr. Sundaramoorthy went to the hospital on Saturday morning as part of investigating the accident. Mohan John who rode the two-wheeler which caused the accident was also at the hospital.
The police said that Kumar, who came to the hospital along with his friends, started assaulting John without provocation. They allegedly manhandled Mr. Sundaramoorthy and verbally abused him when he tried to pacify them, the police said.
They escaped from the place as Mr. Sundaramoorthy telephoned sub-inspector Damodaran for immediate backup.
The Mettupalayam police said that they were searching for Kumar, who was the former chairman of a political party at Mettupalayam town.