Local Tamils have staged a protest at the funeral of a Tamil youth who was reportedly tortured to death by Sri Lankan police this week, demand justice for his killing.

Nagarasa Alex, a 25-year-old resident of Sithankerni, Jaffna, passed away on Sunday at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. He had earlier been detained by Sri Lankan police in Vaddukkottai, with a video of him describing the horrific torture he was subject to being shared widely on social media.

He would die just hours later.

Alex’s body was returned to his hometown, where his funeral rites were being held earlier today.

Outraged locals gathered and held placards demanding justice for his killing.

^{'We want justice. We want justice'}

“Justice for Alex” read one placard. Banners with photographs of the murdered Tamil youth were also held aloft, as mourners gathered at his home and consoled his family.

^{Alex's family mourns.}

A post-mortem examination revealed Alex had sustained “multiple injuries”.

The cause of death form issued by the office of the judicial medical officer found that there were “abrasions and contusions” on the “trunk, both upper limbs and both lower limbs”.

^{File photograph: 25-year-old Alex.}

Last night, Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force (STF) had been deployed to ramp up security outside the Vaddukkottai police station in Jaffna.