File photo taken in 1981 shows Yuan Longping selecting hybrid rice specimens for a lecture. Chinese scientist Yuan Longping, renowned for developing the first hybrid rice strain that pulled countless people out of hunger, died of illness at 91 on Saturday. (Xinhua)

At least three netizens were detained for defaming Yuan Longping, revered as the "Father of Hybrid Rice" in China, who passed away on Saturday, as the whole nation mourns his death at the age of 91.

Sina Weibo also decided to shut down permanently the accounts of 68 users who were found to have "reported false information" or "spread rumors, insults and attacks" on Yuan, according to a statement made by Weibo on Monday.

Two netizens, one in Beijing and another in North China's Tianjin Municipality, were both found to have posted a number of insulting remarks about Yuan on Wechat on Saturday, which were reported to police. 

Those derogatory posts had caused "seriously bad" impact on the society, according to a statement issued by police. Both people have been detained and an investigation is now underway.

Another netizen who made a series of posts on Weibo insulting Yuan and three other Chinese academicians who passed away recently was also detained by local police in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province. 

The announcement of the detention became a top trending subject Saturday night on Weibo, which was engulfed by waves of mourning by Chinese netizens who expressed their condolences and sorrow over the death of Yuan, who was also hailed as "the pride of the Republic and the backbone of the nation."

Global Times