ALAPPUZHA: Only a few people gathered at Madapurackal Paditathil house near Kannukalipalam in Karuvatta panchayat when the ambulance carrying the body of 65-year-old Sivankutty Chettiyar arrived on Thursday. Relatives carried the body into the rented house, where it was kept for around 20 minutes.
After brief rituals, the body was taken to the mobile gas crematorium set up on the plot Sivankutty, who was allegedly murdered by his granddaughter, had purchased to build houses for his daughters, located close to his existing house. Following rituals, his elder daughter lit the pyre.
“His final journey is taking place at the land he purchased to build houses for his daughters,” said Murukan, a relative who came from Paravoor in Kollam to attend the funeral.
Sivankutty and his family had lived in a small house on three cents of land at Paravoor. After his daughters got married, he wanted to build houses for them. One daughter worked at a private shop in Kollam after completing her studies and later secured a job in Dubai.
His younger daughter was married but later separated from her husband after the birth of her daughter, who is now an accused in the murder case. She subsequently moved to the Gulf. Initially, she had planned to take the girl with her, but her low salary forced her to leave the child with her parents, Murukan said.
Five years ago, the younger daughter moved to the Gulf, while the family continued to live in Paravoor. Later, Sivankutty and his family decided to purchase land and construct houses for his daughters. They found a plot at Karuvatta at a reasonable price.
“The land is around one kilometre from NH 66 and has easy access to the highway, which was convenient for both daughters. So they purchased the land and started construction. One house has almost been completed and the foundation for another was laid. But Sivankutty could not live to see his daughters lead a good life in those houses,” Murukan said.
Rugmini, the former owner of the property, said the family maintained a very private life after moving to Karuvatta.
“Sivankutty came to Karuvatta around a year ago for the construction of the house. He was a lean and soft-spoken person who rarely spoke to others. However, he used to distribute drinking water and tea to the workers engaged in the construction of the house.”
His wife Saraswathy worked as a daily-wage worker at hotels and other establishments. “She would leave for work early in the morning and return in the evening. So the family had very little interaction with the neighbours,” Rugmini said.
Recalling the events leading to his murder, Rugmini said the girl reached her friend’s house on Monday and informed her that the house was locked from inside and her grandfather was not responding to calls.
“I asked her to inform Joshilal, a neighbour. He later arrived, and with the help of construction workers, the grill of the house was opened. Sivankutty was found lying on the floor,” Rugmini said.
Haripad block panchayat president and Karuvatta division member Nadhan V K said the girl appeared cool initially.
“When the workers were opening the house, she made a video call to her maternal aunt, who is in the Gulf, and informed her of the incident. She tried her best to convince the investigators that someone else had committed the murder.”
Police have arrested the girl and a teenager in connection with the murder. The probe is under way, with the police focusing on the circumstances and the alleged motive.
