The Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's Court Tuesday heard a case involving a local private detective allegedly killed by the person he was investigating.

This is believed to be the first ever case of its kind in Beijing.

The defendants, Zhao Jun, chairman of the Beijing Meili Rensheng Health Food Company and Yang Zhanli, Zhao's employee, were accused by the public prosecutor - the No 2 Branch of the Beijing Municipal People's Procuratorate - of willful and malicious injury.

Relatives of the victim Huang Lirong also called for Zhao and Yang to pay 400,000 yuan (US$48,000) in compensation.

In December last year, Zhao found Huang using a camera and telescope to monitor him, according to the procuratorate.

Zhao then sent Yang to catch Huang in Beijing's Dongcheng District in December last year.

Yang took Huang to a clinic and demanded Huang tell him why he was monitoring Yang's boss, Zhao.

Yang, together with two employees of Zhao, allegedly beat Huang with an iron pipe.

Huang died of a ruptured liver after being battered by Yang and the other two men.

Yang and the other two colleagues later disposed of Huang's body near a hospital in Beijing's Dongcheng District.

The public prosecutor called for Yang to receive a heavier sentence, taking into account that he had previously been sentenced to a fixed term of imprisonment for swindling and theft.

No decision was made Tuesday by the court.

Yang claimed Tuesday at court that his action was not the direct cause of Huang's death.

Zhao believed that he needs only to pay compensation.

The case has attracted public attention to the covert profession of the private detective.

The profession is forbidden by the government.

(China Daily October 27, 2004)