CHENNAI: A 61-year-old auto-rickshaw driver, who was assaulted by the family of an eight-year-old girl he sexually abused, escaped from the government hospital in Kolathur where he was undergoing treatment for his injuries on Saturday morning.

The suspect, David of Kannappa Sami Nagar in Kavangarai, regularly transported schoolchildren in and around Puzhal.

On Friday evening, parents and relatives of one of the school children confronted him for sexually abusing a girl and severely assaulted him. David’s son took him to the Government Hospital at Periyar Nagar later that night, where he was admitted for treatment.

Meanwhile, the girl’s mother filed a complaint with the Puzhal All-Women Police Station where a case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Meanwhile, at around 5.30 am on October 31, hospital staff found that the auto driver was missing from the ward.

Following this, special teams have been formed under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kolathur, and led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Puzhal Range, to trace the accused. Police said further investigation is under way.