A northwest China farmer has been refused state compensation for being locked up in police detention for 472 days before being declared innocent of murder.

Heng Longwen with Jingyang police explained the rejection was because the murder investigation is not yet concluded, today's Chinese Business View newspaper reported.

Wu Zhifeng, 49, a farmer in Jingyang County of Shaanxi Province's Xianyang City, told the newspaper that he was caught by Jingyang police on September 29, 2007 while working in his field.

Police suspected him of killing a woman who was found dead in a village well. He was detained for alleged manslaughter on October 25 and arrested on November 8 that year.

During the detention, Wu repeatedly told police that he didn't kill the woman but they still beat him in interrogation, he said.

In April 2008, Xianyang People's Procuratorate Office charged Wu with rape at Xianyang Intermediate People's Court.

Wu presented the evidence he collected during detention to prove he was innocent, which the court accepted.

The procuratorate dropped the lawsuit in December that year and Jingyang police put Wu on bail in January 2009, putting an end to his 472-day long detention.

Wu was finally set free on March 23, 2009 when the bail period was due.

In May this year, Wu demanded 800,000-yuan (US$11,814) compensation from the Jingyang police and Jingyang procuratorate office, 50,000 yuan in state compensation and 30,000 yuan for mental damage.

The detention greatly damaged to his family and made them a huge target of shame in the village, he said. His wife and son had to leave to find work and his 28-year-old son was unable to get married.