(New York Post) -- A Chinese security official visiting New York was served papers in a federal lawsuit yesterday, charging him with overseeing the torture and murder of Falun Gong followers. Zhao Zhifei, identified by Falun Gong backers as the head of public security in Hubei Province, was sued under the federal Torture Victim Protection Act. If Zhifei doesn't answer the lawsuit within 20 days, a default judgment could be entered against him, said a Falun Gong lawyer. Chinese officials banned the Falun Gong sect two years ago, amid fears that its size and organizational strength challenge Communist rule. Thousands of Falun Gong followers have been sent to labor camps. Zhifei was staying at the Manhattan Plaza Hotel. It was unclear why he was in town.