CUDDALORE: A 24-year-old man accused of peddling ganja was shot on the knee when he tried to escape here in Cuddalore district, police said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Naveen, a resident of Vallumpadugai, allegedly hurt a constable, identified as Iyyappan, on his left hand with a knife, a police official said.

Both the constable and the accused are admitted to a hospital, the official added.

According to police sources, Naveen had escaped on November 22, when the police had rounded up him and his friends -- Gautam and Arun -- while they were trying to sell ganja in Sivapuri. Naveen had used a knife to threaten the constables before escaping, said the police, who were tipped off about the peddlers.

Later, after interrogating the other two accused, the police traced Naveen and nabbed him late in the night on November 22.

"We took him to the spot today to recover the knife he had used on November 22. He handed over the knife, but managed to get another one hidden nearby and slashed the left hand of the constable. We were forced to shoot at his right knee to prevent him from escaping," the police said.