The parents and the lawyer of a victim of a poisoning case 19 years ago want the Beijing police to disclose details of their investigation after they shut the case, citing lack of evidence.

Zhu Ling (C) and her parents. [File photo]

Media and netizens with online petitions are also weighing in on the case, urging the police to come clean over the matter.

On Wednesday, Beijing's police department released a statement, saying they were "deeply sorry" for being unable to crack the case. It denied any "outside intervention" in the case, in an apparent response to rumors that higher authorities had botched efforts to wrap up the case.

The victim, Zhu Ling, now 39, was a chemistry student at Tsinghua University in Beijing when she abruptly fell ill in late 1994. She suffered neurological damage due to thallium poisoning that has left her unable to take care of herself, with facial paralysis and the loss of almost all her speech and eyesight.

Thallium, a soft metal, dissolves in water and is odorless and tasteless with a history of use as a murder weapon.

Jealous of talent, beauty

At that time, Zhu's roommate Sun Wei, or Jasmine Sun, was suspected to be behind the incident, allegedly jealous of Zhu's talent and beauty. Sun's uncle Sun Fulin was then a vice chairman of China's top political advisory body. He was vice mayor of Beijing previously.

Lawyer Li Chunguang doubted if the police had the legal right to close the nearly two-decade-old case by simply saying it did not have the evidence.

Li wrote to the Beijing police yesterday, asking them to disclose facts, documents and files based on which they said the case was shut. He also sought details of the investigation.

The police claimed they had tried their best to investigate but said since it was nearly six months after Zhu was discovered to be poisoned, all traces and physical evidence had been lost or destroyed.

In the letter, Li said Zhu's family had questioned the police about the progress of the case but did not get any reply.

Zhu's parents told the China National Radio on Tuesday that Beijing police were quiet about the case for years. Although they asked the police to disclose the details and the conclusion of their investigation in 2008, they refused to do so.

The police insisted that they sent a letter to the family to inform them that the case was closed due to lack of evidence, but Zhu's family said they were not informed and were never told why the case was closed.

Chinese law states that criminal cases can only be solved or dismissed. And both the conclusions should be based on certain conditions, Li said in his letter to the police.

Domestic media have joined netizens in urging the police to meet Zhu's family's demands and disclose the details.

"The case of Zhu has led to numerous speculations, mainly because the authorities have kept silent about the matter, refused to disclose information and rarely communicated with the victim family," an opinion piece in the People's Daily said yesterday. "If the information is not divulged, the victim will never get a proper answer while the alleged suspect Sun Wei will have to live with a heavy burden amid all those speculations," it said.

"Doubts about Zhu's case will not be assuaged by the short and general statement issued by the Beijing police. Direct interaction with the public is the best way to solve the issue," Xinhua news agency opined yesterday.

"To avoid staying in the dark over the case - as Zhu's parents are - citizens have tried multiple ways to have their voices heard. It is the time for the government to listen, respond and act," Xinhua said.

A petition on the White House website had more than 140,000 signatures yesterday. It calls on the Obama administration to "investigate and deport Jasmine Sun," who is reportedly married and living in the US. As the petition has attracted more than 100,000 signatures, the Obama administration will have to issue a response.

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