What happened after the Karuvatta murder? The accused’s night, step by step

Haripad: The accused in the murder of a 67-year-old man in Karuvatta reached Haripad, about seven kilometres away, in the early hours of Sunday and had a celebratory meal at a roadside eatery near the KSRTC bus stand. Thrilled that they had carried out the crime as planned, the group stopped for food as none of them had eaten that night.

The police learnt about the meal from CCTV footage and statements given by those present at the eatery.

The accused had got off a train from Kollam at Haripad railway station at around 7.45pm on Saturday. From the station, they travelled by auto-rickshaw to the area near the Karuvatta cattle bridge. They then walked about a kilometre along a village path before reaching Sivankutty’s house at around 9.30pm. After committing the murder, they returned to Haripad using the same route.

After their meal, they took a bus to Kollam. The accused believed they would not be caught until Monday morning. However, they became worried after the police seized the girl’s mobile phone. The accused had remained in contact with one another through phone calls and in person. By Monday night, Haripad police had reached the homes of the accused.

Weeks of preparation for a cold-blooded murder

Police said the girl, a female relative of Sivankutty, and her friends had been planning the murder for weeks. Sivankutty had reportedly objected to her excessive mobile phone use and staying out late at night. These restrictions, along with family issues, had caused a rift between the girl and her family, police said.

The accused allegedly viewed Sivankutty as an obstacle to their plans. The girl and her male friend repeatedly discussed how to carry out the murder through social media. They considered several methods, including poisoning him and staging a road accident.

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Meanwhile, Sivankutty’s daughter had been admitted to Vandanam Medical College Hospital for maternity care four days before the murder. Sivankutty had remained at home since then.

The girl had been staying at friends’ houses during this period. When she returned from tuition on Saturday evening, she told other relatives that the house was locked and Sivankutty was not there.

The murder is believed to have taken place between 9.30pm on Saturday and 3am on Sunday.

On Sunday morning, the girl returned to the house with a friend. She knocked on the door, called out for Sivankutty and enquired with nearby residents. She returned again in the evening and, in the presence of neighbours, called Sivankutty’s mobile phone. The phone was switched off.

On Monday morning, she returned once more and, with the help of neighbours, opened the back door and entered the house. She then saw Sivankutty’s body and raised an alarm.

When the police arrived, she told them that she had last seen Sivankutty on Saturday morning and that the house had remained locked since then.

The girl also told the police that she suspected some of Sivankutty’s friends, who she said had a habit of drinking. Her account initially appeared to be consistent with the preliminary findings of the investigation.

However, woman police officers questioned her for several hours. She eventually confessed to the crime on Monday night. After receiving information about the suspected perpetrators, Haripad police reached Paravur in Kollam. All three were arrested from their homes within hours.

Eighth-grade girl allegedly gave ‘quotation’ for murder

Haripad: The brutal murder of Sivankutty in Karuvatta was allegedly a contract killing arranged by his eighth-grade female relative, police said. The girl and three others, including her boyfriend, a Plus Two student, have been taken into custody.

Sivankutty Chettiyar (67) was allegedly murdered by the girl’s boyfriend and two of his friends. One of the three is a Plus One student, while another had dropped out after Plus One.

The accused allegedly escaped after stealing four-and-a-half sovereigns of gold jewellery from the house. One of the rings was later sold for Rs 16,000. Police recovered the money as well as jewellery that the accused had kept at their homes.

According to the police, the stolen valuables were to be used to buy an iPhone for the girl and a motorcycle for her boyfriend.

The 13-year-old girl is from Karuvatta, while the other accused are from Paravur in Kollam. The murder took place on Saturday night and came to light on Monday morning.

The girl had told neighbours that Sivankutty was missing. When the house was opened and searched with their help, his body was found.

Police said the accused entered the house by pushing up an asbestos sheet over the toilet with a wooden log and climbing through the ventilation opening. Sivankutty was allegedly stripped, his hands and feet were tied with a bedsheet, and he was strangled with the same sheet.

Sivankutty’s daughter Sreekala had been admitted to Vandanam Medical College Hospital for delivery, while his wife Saraswathi was with her.

Sivankutty and the girl had been at home together. District Police Chief Vishnu Pradeep said the girl later told her male friend over the phone that Sivankutty had allegedly attempted to physically assault her.

The girl and her boyfriend had initially planned to steal the gold and money in Sivankutty’s possession when no one else was at home. Police said the girl had run away from home several times in the past.

Sivankutty had reportedly restricted her mobile phone use and friendships with boys. Police said the girl, angry over these restrictions and believing she would get money to buy a motorcycle, eventually gave a ‘quotation’ to her male friend to kill him.

The accused allegedly showed the girl visuals of the murder over a video call while the crime was being committed.

On Monday morning, when police arrived after receiving information about the murder, the girl hurried away, saying that she had to attend an examination. The behaviour aroused the suspicion of a woman police officer and proved crucial to solving the case.

The post-mortem examination confirmed that Sivankutty died of suffocation.