Police detain two for death in land protest

ZHENGZHOU - Police have detained two men, including a village head, in connection with an investigation into the death of a villager in a land compensation protest in Central China's Henan province.

Zhou Songyan, Party chief of Zhoudian village of Henan, and villager Guo Baoliang were detained after a dump truck crushed Zhou Hongyan to death on April 22.

An initial police investigation found the Party chief had asked Guo to deliberately run the truck at the 50-year-old victim, who was sitting behind the vehicle in protest over unpaid compensation for land requisitioned for a road expansion, Zhang Jianjun, head of the Weidu police station under the Public Security Bureau of Xuchang city, said on Tuesday.