The 13-year-old girl allegedly plotted the killing of her grandfather in Alappuzha after telling her boyfriend that she had experienced “bad touch” from the deceased, triggering a sense of revenge in him, police said.

Alappuzha District Police Chief Vishnu Pratheep T K said the teenagers who allegedly carried out the murder were also influenced by movies. “The idea of scattering chilli powder at the scene came from movies. But it did not work,” he said at a press conference.

The incident took place at Karuvatta on Sunday night, when 65-year-old Sivankutty Chettiyar was attacked and killed at his rented residence. Four minors, including the 13-year-old girl, have been apprehended in connection with the case.

According to police, the girl told her boyfriend that she had experienced “bad touch” from her grandfather. This allegedly led him to develop a sense of revenge. However, police said the plan involved both murder and robbery and are probing whether her allegations against the victim are true.

The accused tied Chettiyar with clothes found at the house and smothered him after attacking him. Police said he suffered multiple injuries and died of suffocation.

The teenagers allegedly entered the house through a small bathroom ventilation opening after breaking an asbestos sheet. The narrow opening raised suspicion during the investigation, as only very lean persons could have entered through it.

Police said the girl initially claimed that Chettiyar was unresponsive and not opening the door. However, a parallel investigation led officers to suspect her involvement. She later confessed when confronted with the evidence.

The girl is accused of guiding her boyfriend and his friends by providing details about Chettiyar being alone, the location of the gold ornaments and the possible entry and exit routes. She was at a friend’s house when the murder took place and watched it over a video call.

Police said around 4.5 sovereigns of gold were stolen from the house. A ring was sold for ₹16,000. The entire stolen gold has since been recovered, and a person who allegedly helped the minors sell it has also been nabbed, the police said. Investigators said the accused planned to use the proceeds to buy a two-wheeler and an iPhone.

The other three accused are aged between 16 and 17. The 13-year-old is a Class 8 student, while two of the others are higher secondary students and the fourth is a Plus One dropout. Police said that despite being juveniles, the accused appeared to have acted in a planned and motivated manner, "like adults".

The girl is Chettiyar’s daughter Sreekala’s child from her first marriage. Sreekala, who was previously divorced, later remarried, and her husband is currently working in the Gulf. The family, originally from Kollam, moved to a rented house in Karuvatta around two years ago. A new house is being constructed nearby.

Police said the girl allegedly saw an opportunity to execute the plan when her mother was admitted to hospital for the delivery of her second child. Investigators are questioning the accused to establish further details of the crime.