Alappuzha (Kerala), Aug 18 — A 13-year-old girl allegedly masterminded the murder of a 65-year-old male relative with the help of three minor boys in Karuvatta near here, with police suspecting that the teenagers planned the crime to steal gold and cash and fund their desire for expensive gadgets and bikes.
The girl, who is related to the deceased and had been staying with him at the rented house, and the three boys are all minors and have been taken into police custody.
Police have not officially disclosed the identities of the victim or the accused.
The shocking details of the crime emerged during intensive questioning of the girl after the body of Sivankutty Chettiar, 65, was found at his rented house in an isolated area of Karuvatta in the Haripad Block Panchayat limits.
The murder is suspected to have taken place on Saturday night, after Chettiar's wife and daughter went to the hospital for childbirth, leaving the elderly man alone at the house.
Police said the girl allegedly chose the night for the attack and provided her friends, who had travelled from Kollam, with directions to the house and information that the victim would be alone.
The teenagers reached the house after 9 p.m. They had reportedly taken elaborate precautions to avoid detection, including leaving their own mobile phones behind.
The investigation took a dramatic turn on Monday morning when police arrived after the body was discovered.
The girl was present at the scene and repeatedly insisted that she had to go to school to write an examination, despite the bloodstained surroundings.
Her unusual composure and behaviour aroused the suspicion of investigators.
A woman Circle Inspector subsequently subjected her to intensive psychological questioning.
Police said the girl eventually admitted that the murder had been carried out on her instructions.
The victim’s hands and legs were allegedly tied behind him using bedsheets and other cloth before a cloth was tightened around his neck, causing his death.
The attackers then allegedly broke open the bedroom cupboard and escaped with gold ornaments and cash.
Police suspect that the motive involved both an earlier grudge against the victim and the desire to obtain money and valuables.
The teenagers allegedly wanted to buy an expensive iPhone for the girl and luxury motorcycles for the boys.
In an apparent attempt to mislead investigators, the group allegedly scattered chilli powder on the floor and near the doors after the murder.
Police also suspect that the attackers showed the girl footage of the crime on a mobile phone.
The family had been living in the rented house for around three years, maintaining limited contact with neighbours.
The girl had been staying with the victim and was familiar with the other teenagers, whom she had reportedly met while staying with relatives in Kollam.
Investigators are now probing whether drugs played a role in the crime, including whether the teenagers were using MDMA and whether a wider drug network influenced the group.
The body was shifted from Haripad Taluk Hospital to Alappuzha Medical College Hospital for the post-mortem examination.
The four minors will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board after completion of the required procedures.
The investigation is continuing into the planning of the murder, the stolen valuables and the possible involvement of others.