KOCHI: A 13-year-old girl and three minor boys were taken into custody on Tuesday in connection with the murder of a 65-year-old man, who was found dead at his residence at Karuvatta in Alappuzha the day before.
Police said the girl, granddaughter of the deceased Sivankutty Chettiyar, planned the robbery-murder and remained on video call with her boyfriend as he and his friends killed him.
Sivankutty’s body was found with his hands and legs tied at the back with bedsheets and clothes. As per the autopsy, he was smothered to death. Six sovereigns of gold and cash were stolen from the house. “Sivankutty was found with injuries that caused internal bleeding. However, the cause of death was smothering,” District Police Chief T K Vishnu Pradeep told TNIE.
The police said the case initially appeared to be a robbery gone wrong. “However, contradictions in the girl’s statements changed the direction of the probe. Situational evidence and statements helped lead us to the culprits,” said Kayamkulam DySP Rajappan Rauthar.
The police have arraigned the girl as the first accused, and her boyfriend, a Plus-II student from Paravur in Kollam, as the second accused. The other two accused are his friends, both aged 17. Preliminary probe points to financial gain as the motive. As per the police, the girl reportedly wanted an iPhone while the boys were in need of money to buy a motorcycle.
However, the police are also checking a revenge angle after the boys told them that the girl had complained to her boyfriend that Sivankutty had touched her inappropriately and that she wanted him killed. “The allegation will be looked into,” Vishnu said.
The cops said the murder took place between 10.45pm on Saturday and 1.30am on Sunday. “The boys travelled from Paravur to Haripad on Maveli Express on Saturday and reached Sivankutty’s house around 10.45pm on autorickshaw.
A planned murder: Dist police chief
Before entering the house, the girl’s boyfriend reportedly called her on video call to confirm the location of the house. She stayed on video call while the boys killed Sivankutty,” DySP Rajappan said. The police said the girl and the other accused knew each other as her family had lived in Paravur. Sivankutty, hailing from Ambalapuzha, had been living in Paravur after marriage.
Around two years ago, the girl’s mother remarried and moved to Karuvatta and began constructing a house there. The family stayed in a rented house nearby while the two houses for Sivankutty’s daughters were being built.
The police said Sivankutty was alone in the house when he was murdered. The girl’s mother had been admitted to Alappuzha Medical College Hospital for delivery and Sivankutty’s wife was with her. The girl’s stepfather is abroad. According to the police, the girl had told her mother that she would be staying with one of her friends. The police said the accused planned the crime on Friday. Since there was no one else at the house, the girl allegedly called her boyfriend in Paravur and informed him.
Sivankutty’s body was found by the neighbours on Monday after the girl told them that he was missing and that the house had been locked for two days.
Chilli powder had been scattered at the crime scene, a move police suspect was inspired from the movies to prevent tracing.
The cupboard had been broken open and the gold ornaments and cash were missing.
“It was a planned murder. They came with the intention of killing Sivankutty,” said the district police chief.
The three boys were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent to the juvenile home in Mayithara near Cherthala. The girl is at Sakhi One Stop Centre (OSC) in Alappuzha. She will be produced before the board on Wednesday.