Karuvatta murder: Chat records expose 13-year-old girl's plot to kill grandfather; charge-sheet details brutal assault by teens

Alappuzha: The Haripad police have filed a 740-page charge-sheet detailing how a 13-year-old girl allegedly plotted the murder of her 67-year-old grandfather at Karuvatta in Alappuzha. The murder, committed on August 15, was allegedly carried out by three teenagers aged between 16 and 18 from Paravur in Kollam following weeks of planning.

The police submitted the charge-sheet before the Juvenile Justice Board, requesting that the three boys be tried as adults. The investigation team, led by Haripad Inspector B Vinodkumar, completed the probe and filed the final report on the 82nd day after the suspects' arrest. The case is unusual as all those accused of involvement in the crime are minors.

The charge-sheet names 87 witnesses and includes 98 documentary exhibits and 12 material objects. Key evidence comprises six sets of CCTV footage that trace the movements of the three teenagers as they arrived at Haripad railway station, travelled to the victim's house and fled after the murder. The victim's daughter and wife, who are the mother and grandmother of the 13-year-old girl, are among the key witnesses.

Theft plan turned into murder plot
Social media chats between the girl and her teenage friend in Kollam proved crucial in uncovering the conspiracy, according to the charge-sheet.

The girl had initially planned to steal cash and valuables from her house to help her friend buy a motorcycle and an iPhone. However, on August 14, her grandfather caught her trying to break open an almirah and slapped and reprimanded her.

Her mother was in hospital for childbirth at the time, leaving only the girl and her grandfather at home. Fearing that any subsequent theft would immediately make her the prime suspect, the girl allegedly decided to kill him, the charge-sheet states.

Her friend then recruited two other teenagers to help carry out the murder. Investigators reconstructed the conspiracy using digital evidence, including chat records and a location map sent by the girl.

On the night of August 15, the three boys reached Haripad to execute the plan, while the girl stayed at another friend's house. She allegedly guided them to the almirah through a live video call.

According to the charge-sheet, the three teenagers entered the house by lifting the roof of the bathroom and climbing through a ventilation window.

They allegedly pressed a bedsheet against the sleeping man's face to render him unconscious, stuffed a cloth into his mouth and tied his hands to his thighs with a dhoti. His legs were bound with a towel. The three then repeatedly kicked and stamped on his neck and head, causing fatal injuries. Investigators said no weapons were used in the attack.