A cameraman of a leading TV Channel was assaulted and his camera was smashed by security staff of Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital near the city airport, even as a large number of media persons squatted in front of the hospital gate seeking immediate arrest of the culprits.

Krishna, the cameraman of Sun TV, had gone to take the bite of a patient, on an invitation from his relatives about the problem faced by him over treatment from the hospital for the last few months.

As the relatives were narrating the problem, a few security staff arrived at the scene and reportedly pulled the camera and mike and smashed to the floor and assaulted, Krishna, resulting in bleeding injuries on his left ear and was admitted to the Government Hospital, they said.

As the news spread, over 100 media persons rushed to the hospital and sought immediate action and filed a complaint in the nearest police station.

However, police, despite filing the FIR, delayed the arrest and asked those assembled there to disperse, some of the media persons said.

Media persons wanted the senior management officials to apologise for the assault, since the Vice President of Finance, Karthikeyan, reportedly gave instructions and instigated the security staff to attack the cameraman, police said.

Though police assured to arrest the culprits, the media wanted them to be remanded, for fear of the possibility of the staff being taken on bail, after being taken to police station.