13-year-old girl plotted Karuvatta murder for two months to buy iPhone, friend's bike: Chargesheet

Haripad: Police have filed a chargesheet before the District Juvenile Justice Board in the Karuvatta murder case, stating that the killing was planned to raise money to buy an iPhone for the 13-year-old girl accused in the case and a motorcycle for her friend.

Sivankutty Chettiyar (67), a native of Kochalumoodu in Paravur, Kollam, who was living in a rented house at Karuvatta, was murdered by a group of teenagers on the night of August 15.

The accused stole four-and-a-half sovereigns of gold from the house and planned to sell it to raise the money, according to the chargesheet prepared by Haripad Circle Inspector B. Vinod Kumar.

The crime came to light on August 17, and the accused were apprehended the same day. The chargesheet was filed on the 89th day after the murder.

The chargesheet lists the first and third accused as 17-year-olds, the second as 16, and the fourth as a 13-year-old girl.

According to the police, the accused broke into the house at night, wrapped cloth around the victim's body and suffocated him. The teenagers allegedly showed the girl the murder through a WhatsApp video call.
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Two months of planning; Instagram chats recovered

The murder had been planned for around two months, the chargesheet states. The accused communicated with one another through Instagram.

Police have recovered the chats from their mobile phones and have sought information from Meta to verify the conversations. A supplementary report containing the findings will also be submitted to the Juvenile Justice Board.

On the day of the murder, only Sivankutty Chettiyar and his relative, the 13-year-old girl, were at home. The girl had tried to break open a cupboard and steal gold that morning. Chettiyar noticed the attempt and reprimanded her.

The chargesheet identifies this incident as the immediate trigger for the murder that night.

SIM card active for just one day

Police seized six SIM cards from the accused's mobile phones. One of them had been active only on the day of the murder.

Cyber experts helped investigators trace the details of the SIM card. The police have cited its limited period of use as evidence of the careful planning behind the crime.
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Trial of three accused may be shifted to Sessions Court

With the chargesheet filed, the case is set to move towards trial. The 13-year-old girl's trial will remain before the Juvenile Justice Board.

The prosecution has sought the transfer of the proceedings against the three male accused, aged 16 and 17, to the District Sessions Court. Their cases are likely to be considered first.

Under the Juvenile Justice Act, accused persons aged between 16 and 18 can be considered for trial as adults in cases involving heinous offences. The Juvenile Justice Board must assess the nature and gravity of the offence, the accused's social background and mental capacity before deciding whether to transfer the case.

Both the prosecution and the defence will be heard before the board takes a decision. Even if the case is transferred to the Sessions Court, that court will conduct a similar assessment before proceeding. The chargesheet will be taken up for consideration on November 16.

The 13-year-old girl will continue to face proceedings before the Juvenile Justice Board because of her age. Nearly three months after her arrest, no family member has come forward to take custody of her.

Although granted bail, she remains at a shelter under the supervision of the Juvenile Justice Board. Arrangements have also been made for the education of the eighth-standard student. The families of the three male accused have taken custody of them.

The case is being heard by a Juvenile Justice Board comprising Judicial First Class Magistrate-II, Cherthala, Sincy Jacob, and members Dr Saji Mathew and K.R. Sreelekha. Assistant Public Prosecutor Manu Kallampally is appearing for the prosecution.