The victim, Tamizhselvan, a resident of Vanavil Street in the Anaiyur Koodal Pudur area, was found dead under mysterious circumstances, with his body recovered from a thorny pond on Monday.
Local police initially registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for suspicious death and launched an inquiry.
However, the handling of the case has triggered severe backlash from family members and activist coalitions.
Protesters voiced strong dissatisfaction with the initial police approach, calling for the immediate replacement of the current investigating officer Mohan.
Mahalakshmi of Pengal Eluchi Iyakkam alleged that only after they refused to accept the mortal remains of the victim, the police initiated the inquiry.
However, she said, the police refused to look into several of the witnesses, which led to the death of the boy.
“This we doubt is being to protect the father of the girl with whom the victim was in a relationship. We point out to the father because he had threatened the boy several times not to speak to his daughter,” she added.
Apart from this, some of the onlookers have evidence of around six boys entering the pond but only five returning from there. “The police, when told about this is refusing to consider it as evidence,” she alleged.
Ms. Mahalakshmi stated that the truth would come to light once the case is reclassified as a murder and the investigating officer is replaced.