CHENNAI: Police have launched a search for a yet-to-be-identified gang who allegedly hurled Molotov cocktails (petrol bombs) at the house of a PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) functionary near Old Washermanpet on Monday night.

A couple of hours earlier, the same gang had rounded up the PMK functionary's 19-year-old son and attacked him, but the boy managed to escape, police said.

Police sources said that the petrol bombs were hurled near the house of Sathyanarayanan, North Chennai District Secretary of PMK.

His son, S Nishal (19) was on his two-wheeler riding towards Kasimedu when a gang who came in three motorbikes rounded him up and started attacking him with weapons. Nishal sustained minor injuries and manged to flee, police investigations revealed.

About an hour later, the same gang allegedly turned up outside Nishal's house and hurled petrol bombs, which also fell on the neighbour's house. No person was injured in the accident, police said.

Sathyanarayanan has filed a complaint at the Tondiarpet police station.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Nishal was involved in a clash with a group during Vinayagar Chaturthi celebrations last year.

Police suspect the group could have acted in retaliation and have launched a search for the suspects.