ZHENGZHOU -- The civil affairs department of central China's Henan Province is investigating the suspicious death of a child in Xinyang, whose bruised and battered body has caused uproar online.

Wang Zhiqiang, 13, went missing on Oct. 2. He was found the next day, but his father was not informed about his whereabouts until six months later, when the child was lying cold in a mortuary.

The city's civil affairs department said the local police found the boy on Oct. 3 and took him to a rescue station. They said he could not provide his name, age or address and they believed he had severe learning difficulties.

Wang Xinhong, the boy's father, said he had filed a missing child report with the police on the day his son went missing.

Wang was transferred to a local orphanage. He stayed there until the end of March, when he was admitted to hospital..

Doctors said Wang was malnourished and diagnosed him with anemia, acute gastritis, head injuries and multiple organ failure.

The civil affairs department said the boy died on April 18 at the hospital and a body claim announcement was posted in a local newspaper. Wang saw this and responded.

When Wang identified his son, he said he was unusually thin and his body was covered in scars.

A special investigation team led by the city's discipline inspection committee was established Tuesday. An autopsy was conducted Wednesday.

The case has aroused the suspicious of Internet users, with some accusing the department of dereliction of duty and physical abuse.