Alappuzha: A chargesheet has been submitted before the Juvenile Justice Board in the case of the murder of a 67-year-old man living in a rented house in Harippad Karuvatta, involving the killing and looting of money and gold ornaments. The investigative team has found that the murder was carried out following weeks of meticulous planning. The deceased elderly man’s 13-year-old granddaughter is alleged to be behind the planning of the murder, with the motive identified in the chargesheet as obtaining money to buy a bike and an iPhone. The victim is identified as Shivankutty Chettiyar (67) of Saraswathi Nivas in Kochalummoodu, Nedungolam, Paravur, Kollam. The accused are three teenagers originally from Paravur, Kollam, along with the victim’s granddaughter. All the accused are under the age of 18; the first and third accused are 17 years old, the second is 16, and the granddaughter is 13. The case is notable as all the accused in the murder case are minors.
The murder that shocked the region occurred during the night of August 15, and the incident came to light on August 17. Investigation revealed that the accused had prepared a detailed plan prior to committing the murder. One of the main pieces of evidence proving the planning was the social media chats between the victim’s granddaughter and a friend from Kollam. The investigative team thoroughly examined the planning related to the method of murder and the gold and money intended to be stolen. According to the chargesheet, the motive of the accused was to find money needed to purchase a bike and an iPhone. To fulfill this, they planned to kill Shivankutty Chettiyar and loot the gold ornaments and cash present at his residence. After the murder, approximately four and a half sovereigns of gold jewelry were stolen from the house, which the accused intended to sell for money, the investigation states.
On the night of August 15, the teenagers who arrived at the house lifted the cover of the bathroom and entered through the ventilation, according to the chargesheet. They then incapacitated Shivankutty Chettiyar by pressing down on his face, rendering him unconscious. After stuffing cloth into his mouth, they tied his hands together with a towel, securing them to the wash basin, and bound his legs using strips of cloth. The murder was committed after the victim had been subdued and rendered unable to resist by stomping and beating his neck and head, the chargesheet explains. The investigation team found that no special weapons were used in carrying out the murder and that the elderly man was brutally beaten to death. Details regarding the planning of the incident, the method used to carry out the murder, and subsequent actions taken by the accused have been collected by the investigation team.
Six CCTV footage clips showing the accused disembarking at Harippad Railway Station, traveling to the residence where the murder occurred, and returning after the incident stand out as crucial evidence in the case. Together with communications on social media, these visuals clarify the movements of the accused, the investigators state. The chargesheet includes testimony from a total of 87 witnesses, 98 documents, and 12 confessions. The daughter and wife of the deceased, Shivankutty Chettiyar, have provided vital witness statements in the case.
The investigation team has submitted evidence to court outlining the specific role of each accused in planning and executing the murder. The chargesheet was prepared under the leadership of Harippad Inspector B. Vinod Kumar. It was submitted after 82 days of investigation during which the accused were apprehended. Considering the gravity of the crime and its premeditated nature, the investigation team has requested that the accused be tried as adults under the law, a decision that rests with the Juvenile Justice Board. Subsequent actions will involve scrutiny of legal provisions regarding trials of juvenile offenders.
The investigation’s significant finding—that teenagers spent weeks planning to kill a family member, an elderly relative, to seize gold and money—is what has drawn considerable public attention. The chargesheet has been filed based on conclusive evidence including social media communications and CCTV footage.
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Original Malayalam report: Malayalam Daily News
