Santhosh Kumar (32) of Thondamuthur, who was arrested for the sexual assault and murder of a seven-year-old girl at Kasthurinaickenpudur near Thudiyalur, was beaten up by public when he was brought to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for a medical examination on Thursday.

The incident happened when Kumar was brought to the hospital for potency test based on court's direction, said the police.

He was escorted to the mortuary complex where a few men beat him even as the police struggled to protect the accused.

The police immediately shifted the accused to the place where the test was conducted.

Minor tension prevailed on the hospital premises following the incident. The police cleared the crowd thronged at the hospital premises to see the accused.

Meanwhile, the police are taking steps to invoke provisions of the Goondas Act against the accused.