Beggar threw self into river, govt says

A blind beggar who claimed to be attacked and thrown into a pool by three government staff in fact jumped into the pool himself, the local government of a district in Southwest China's Yunnan province announced.

However, the three staff members were found to have beaten the beggar and were subsequently punished.

Earlier news reports said the beggar was beaten and then thrown into a pool by the three chengguan (urban management bureau staff), raising a public outcry.

According to the investigation by the local government, He Shiyin, the beggar, quarreled with a cleaner who forbade him from begging at an underground passage in the Zhaoyang district of Zhaotong city on March 22. The cleaner reported the incident to the district's chengguan afterward.

The three chengguan later scuffled with the beggar after confiscating his cane and a bowl, according to the district's publicity department.

The beggar hit the ground with his head after he was held tightly to the ground by the three chengguan, and he jumped into the pool on his own accord afterward, the government said.

The beggar then stood in the pool and complained to passers-by about his suffering. A netizen took a video of He and uploaded it onto the Internet, claiming the beggar was pushed into the pool by the chengguan. The online post triggered widespread public criticism of the chengguan.

But the investigation found that the beggar had set aside his money and cellphone before walking into the pool himself.

Because the investigation also showed the three chengguan has beaten the beggar, the three government staff and their leaders were punished, while the beggar was hospitalized.

The three chengguan were put into custody for 10 to 15 days and fined 500 yuan ($80) to 700 yuan. Their team leader, Wang Jun, was removed from his post.