WUHAN - The story of a man who was allegedly confined for years to a mental health institution after he complained about being underpaid has led critics to ask whether the police overstepped their powers.

Xu Wu, 43, said he once worked for Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corp and claims his ordeal began in 2006 when he approached his bosses and told them he had been underpaid for several years.

After his lobbying failed, Xu took his beef to the authorities in Wuhan and then to Beijing, according to the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily.