MADURAI: People’s Watch, a human rights NGO based in Madurai, has urged the Chengalpattu district collector to directly inquire into the mysterious death of a 17-year-old juvenile at a juvenile correction facility.

The deceased, Gokul Sri, was a resident of Tambaram. He was taken into custody by Tambaram railway police after he allegedly stole a battery belonging to the railway department on December 29. Since he was a minor, he was lodged in a juvenile correction facility on December 30.

On December 31, he developed health complications and was taken to the Chengalpattu government hospital, where he died. Following Sri’s death, his mother Nirmala submitted a petition to the district collector requesting a probe into the mystery behind her son’s death. Nirmala alleged that her son was tortured before death.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Henri Tiphagne, executive director of People’s Watch enlisted a set of demands to be followed in the probe which includes action against the district child protection officer for intimidating Sri’s mother, direct intervention of the district collector in probing the death, action against the warden, deputy warden, head constable of the juvenile correction facility and requested the chief minister to setup a committee to reform juvenile homes.