Police detained a former Hunan Province official after allegations that he helped his daughter enter a university by stealing the identity of her classmate, a joint investigation team said Monday.

Wang Zhengrong was detained on suspicion of forging official documents, certificates and seals, according to the team of officials from the disciplinary, police and education authorities in the central province.

Media reports last week said Wang had stolen the identity of Luo Caixia, a classmate of his daughter Wang Jiajun, and acquired a university admission letter for his daughter.

Zhang Wendi, class advisor to both girls when they were in high school, was also under investigation for allegedly facilitating the ID theft.

Wang Zhengrong was the head of a township government in Shaodong County when he allegedly committed the ID theft in 2004.

Subsequently, he served as commissar in the public security bureau of neighboring Longhui County. However, he received a three-year sentence with a five-year reprieve for bribery in 2008.

Entering college under a false identity is not easy. In this case, it involved getting a new ID for the daughter at the local public security bureau, fabricating files at the local education authority and intercepting an admission letter from Guizhou Normal University sent to Luo Caixia, who had not actually sought admission to the school in 2004.

Wang Jiajun's degree has been revoked by Guizhou Normal University.

The case was a gross violation of social justice and fairness, which was why people cared so much about it, said Liu Wanyong, the reporter at China Youth Daily who first reported the case a week ago.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2009)