Sivankutty Chettiyar murder: 13-year-old girl planned murder during Onam examinations

ALAPPUZHA: The 13-year-old girl, who has been arrested in connection with the murder of her grandfather in Karuvatta, allegedly planned the crime during her Onam examinations and watched the events unfold live through WhatsApp, according to the police investigation.

The Class 8 student allegedly hired her boyfriend and his friends to kill her grandfather, Sivankutty Chettiyar, and rob the house. Investigators said she showed no visible reaction even after a panchayat member informed her that her grandfather had died.

As the investigation progressed, the girl reportedly showed unusual urgency to leave the house where the death had occurred to attend her Onam examination. She finally confessed during questioning by a police team led by DIG Yathish Chandra after investigators confronted her with evidence.

The case has shocked residents of Karuvatta, while police were reportedly taken aback by the girl's calm behaviour and responses during questioning.

According to the investigation, the girl met her boyfriend, a Plus Two student, after joining high school. Police allege that she promised him money to buy a motorcycle in exchange for helping carry out the murder. The girl allegedly planned the crime in an attempt to fulfil her dream of owning an iPhone.

Sivankutty Chettiyar was killed on Saturday night. The girl initially told police that she had visited the house on Sunday morning and found it locked. However, investigators found inconsistencies in her statements, as neither neighbours nor local residents had seen her visiting the house.

She later changed her statement, saying she had visited in the evening. The girl also claimed that she went to a friend's house after failing to find her grandfather. However, the investigation later found that she had allegedly gone to the house of another boyfriend, a native of Haripad.

Mobile phone evidence helped crack the case

Contradictions in the girl's statements, along with digital evidence from mobile phones, reportedly helped police unravel the case. Soon after police announced that the death was being treated as a murder, the 13-year-old claimed that six sovereigns of gold were missing from the house, despite investigators noting that she had not entered the house.

Police grew increasingly suspicious because of the inconsistencies in her statements and behaviour. After taking her phone into custody, investigators reportedly found crucial evidence. With the help of cyber experts, police examined call records and traced the tower location of her boyfriend's phone, eventually piecing together the alleged murder plot.