Karuvatta: The teenagers arrested in connection with the murder of an elderly man in Karuvatta had allegedly drawn up a detailed plan in advance to mislead the police and evade punishment, police said. The four accused had discussed and decided beforehand what they would tell the police if they were caught after the murder. However, the investigation centred on a mobile phone recovered from the accused helped police unravel their subsequent moves.

The four had decided to tell the police that they had travelled to Haripad to buy medicines for the girl, who allegedly had health problems. The girl had also convinced her three friends that since they were minors, they would not face any severe punishment.

Although police had established that an 8th-grade student was behind the murder, they waited until the teenagers were apprehended. Until then, the girl was kept under observation under the supervision of a police officer. Though the girl was questioned several times, the police were careful not to indicate that they had understood her involvement in the crime.

The murder came to light on Monday morning. The girl initially told police that she had left home on Saturday morning and returned twice the following day looking for Sivan Kutty Chettiar, 67. She also claimed that she had left home after a quarrel with her family and had stayed at a friend's house.

The girl stuck to this version and later went with her family to Vandanam Medical College Hospital. She stayed there overnight with a relative who had been admitted for childbirth. The girl was aware that a police officer was present in the ward. Information gathered from her phone calls and from her friends helped police identify her friends in Kollam. Police reached Paravur and identified them. After returning home following the murder, they had stayed at their friends' houses as usual.

The first to be questioned was the Plus Two student, identified as the first accused. Police approached him saying that the girl had confessed. He tried to flee, but was chased and caught in the presence of his family, after which he disclosed everything. It was only after this that the police officer took the girl aside at Vandanam Medical College and spoke to her in detail, following which she admitted her involvement.

The police said the murder was the result of a detailed conspiracy allegedly hatched by the 13-year-old girl and her three male friends, all below 18. According to the police, it was the girl who gave her accomplices the confidence to carry out the crime. Police believe that besides the intention to take gold from the victim, the girl's anger and deep resentment towards Sivan Kutty were major motives behind the murder. She had reportedly told her friends that Sivan Kutty had behaved inappropriately towards her.

Police believe that the difficult circumstances in which the girl grew up may have contributed to the crime. Her parents were separated. The girl had previously left home following arguments with adults. On that occasion, police found her and she was later housed for some time at a government protection centre in Alappuzha.