Rescuers demand reward from Didi for finding suspect's body

A rescue team is demanding that car-hailing service Didi pay them the one million yuan (160,000 U.S. dollars) reward the company had offered for clues regarding the whereabouts of a Didi driver suspected of killing a passenger, reports China Central Television.

Didi driver Liu Zhenhua is suspected of killing one of his passengers in Zhengzhou, Henan Province on May 6, 2018. The 27-year-old allegedly abandoned his vehicle after the passenger's death and jumped into a river to escape.

Photo of suspect Liu Zhenhua published by Didi [File Photo: People's Daily]

On May 10, Didi published detailed information about the driver, offering a reward of up to one million yuan for information. 

Members of the rescue team, seen here on May 12, 2018, that found the body belonging to the driver suspected of killing his female passenger in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. [Photo: Wechat/huanqiu.com]

On May 12, a local rescue team found a body in the river, which was later confirmed by DNA testing to be that of the suspect.

The rescue team is said to have tried to contact Didi for the reward, but did not get a reply from the company.

According to Fu Jian, a lawyer commissioned by the rescue team, by independently searching for and finding the suspect, the team helped police to close the case. They argue that this qualifies them for the reward. 

The lawyer said they would prefer to negotiate with the company, but that they might file a lawsuit against the company for the reward money.

Didi claims that it received more than 3,000 clues in relation to the case within two days of announcing its cash reward for information. 

The company is calling on applicants to provide evidence of their contribution as soon as possible, and has promised to offer the reward to the most suitable applicant if the police confirm that their contribution contributed significantly to closing the case.