'Success party' after brutal murder; 13-year-old breaks down during questioning

ALAPPUZHA: After allegedly carrying out the brutal murder of a 65-year-old man in Karuvatta, the accused travelled to Haripad and celebrated by having food at a roadside eatery in the early hours of Sunday, police said. The victim, Sivankutty Chettiyar (65), a native of Kochalummoodu in Nedungolam, Paravur, Kollam, was murdered at his house in Karuvatta. After the murder, the accused travelled around seven kilometres to Haripad and ate at a roadside eatery near the KSRTC stand.

Police said the gathering appeared to be like a “success party” after carrying out the crime as planned. CCTV footage showing the accused eating at the shop has been obtained, and statements have also been recorded from people who were present there. According to the investigation, the accused arrived in Haripad by train from Kollam at around 7.45 pm on Saturday. They then took an autorickshaw from the railway station to the area near Kannukaalipalam in Karuvatta and walked for nearly a kilometre before reaching Sivankutty's house at around 9.30 pm.

After the crime, they reportedly returned to Haripad along the same route. After having food, they travelled back to Kollam by bus. Police believe they were confident that they would not be caught until at least Monday. The case took a dramatic turn after police became suspicious of the victim's 13-year-old granddaughter's behaviour. Her mobile phone was seized and examined, leading investigators to uncover crucial evidence.

Police found that the girl and the other accused had been in contact through phone calls and had also met in person. According to the investigation, the girl and her friends had allegedly planned the murder for weeks. Sivankutty had reportedly objected to the girl's excessive use of her mobile phone and her habit of going out late at night. Police said these restrictions, along with family issues, had caused her to become increasingly distant from her family.

The girl had allegedly discussed several ways of killing Sivankutty with her friends on social media. Investigators said the group had discussed different methods before allegedly carrying out the murder between 10.45 pm on Saturday and 1.30 am on Sunday. After the incident, the girl reportedly spent two days with her friends and returned home on Monday morning. She then informed locals that Sivankutty was missing and that the house was locked.

Later that morning, she returned to the house with the help of neighbours, opened the back door and entered the house. On finding Sivankutty dead inside, she raised an alarm. When police arrived, she initially told them that she had last seen him on Saturday morning and that the house had remained locked since then.

Police said the girl initially tried to mislead investigators. However, after she was questioned for several hours by a woman police officer, she allegedly confessed to her role in the crime on Monday. Three of her friends were subsequently taken into custody. The girl reportedly remained expressionless throughout much of the questioning. She finally broke down when officers asked about her family situation, telling police that she had never experienced the love and care of her parents. Police also said the family and social circumstances of the other three accused may have influenced their alleged involvement in the crime.

The accused allegedly stole gold ornaments weighing around four-and-a-half sovereigns from the house before fleeing. One of the rings was reportedly sold for Rs 16,000. Police recovered the remaining jewellery, along with the ring that had been sold. Police say the girl planned to use cash from the stolen jewellery to buy an iPhone for herself and a motorcycle for her boyfriend.