Hong Kong  - The family of a homeless Nepalese man shot dead by a Hong Kong police officer has demanded an independent inquiry into the death, claiming police misled the public, media reports said Wednesday.

Hong Kong-born Dil Bahadur Limbu was shot once in the head by a lone officer responding to a complaint call on March 17.

Police say Limbu, 31, was armed with a wooden chair and refused to stop attacking the officer despite repeated warnings.

A report in the Hong Kong Standard quoted Mike Vidler, the lawyer representing the family, as saying that the police had misled the public after the incident to justify the officer's action.

Vidler accused the police of fueling negative reports that Limbu was an illegal immigrant, had a criminal record and was mentally ill.

On Tuesday, Vidler accompanied Limbu's widow Sony Rai and his older brother Ram Kumar Limbu to Hong Kong's police headquarters to lodge a complaint about the shooting and to call for an independent inquiry.

He said a formal request for an independent inquiry, as well as a coroner's inquest, would be submitted to the Department of Justice and to Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang.

"[Limbu's] wife is devastated, "he said. "His death leaves her a widow and their daughter, 5, without a father.

"Adding to their anguish were statements made by police to the media immediately following the incident which appear intent on misleading the public about Limbu's character," Vidler told The Standard.

The widow and daughter were been given a three-month visa to stay in Hong Kong until after the inquest. (dpa)