"Investigation is being conducted into the police officers' allegedly belated action," Sergei Marchenko said.
The government of Kabardino-Balkaria, the largely Muslim republic in the North Caucasus, demanded Sunday a thorough investigation into the attack on the republic's Culture Minister Zaur Tutov and accused police that had arrived at the scene of reluctance to capture the attackers.
The government's press service said Tutov, who is also a famous baritone singer, had been attacked by 15 men who had shouted out "Russia is for Russians!'
Tutov is now in hospital with a cheekbone fracture and other injuries.
Prosecutors opened a criminal case and said they would investigate ethnically motivated violence as one of the possible motives behind the attack.
