An autopsy on Thursday will reveal the cause of death of a local fruit seller who died during a fight with local officials.

The family of the 56-year-old man, Deng Zhengjia, demanded the autopsy from authorities in Linwu county, Hunan province, after micro-bloggers and witnesses alleged the man's death was due to severe beatings from urban administration officers, or chengguan.

"The government will deal with the case according to the law based on the autopsy and investigation results," He Zunqing, a top government official in Linwu, told China Daily.