Provincial police to investigate death that sparked mass protest

The mysterious death of a chef that sparked an unusually large demonstration in Hubei will now be handled by the provincial police and Jingzhou city police, according to Jingzhou city party secretary Ying Daiming .

Mr Ying also promised to invite leading experts to carry out an autopsy on the body, which was finally seized by police early on Sunday after a three-day standoff between angry residents and the police.

Shishou, where the standoff took place, is a county-level city under Jingzhou city.

Tens of thousands of angry residents blocked the police from seizing the body of Tu Yuangao as they feared the police might want to cremate it to destroy evidence of a suspected murder. Demonstrators suspected Tu was killed by the owner of the Yonglong Hotel - he was found dead in front of the building - and alleged that sales of illegal drugs were rampant in the hotel.

A Jingzhou city government spokesman quoted Mr Ying as promising that the provincial government would look into the background of the hotel, which is allegedly owned by senior cadres in Shishou, while the city government would investigate the cause of Tu's death.

The promise follows an outpouring of sympathy for the demonstrators on the internet.