‘Teens planned Karuvatta murder inspired by Tamil film ‘Spyder’’: Kerala police

ALAPPUZHA: Shocking details have emerged in the murder of 65-year-old Sivankutty at Karuvatta, with police finding that a group of teenagers allegedly drew inspiration from the 2017 Tamil film 'Spyder' while planning the killing.

Key points

• According to police, the accused travelled from Kollam to Karuvatta by train on Saturday night.
• Police reportedly recovered WhatsApp conversations between the girl and her male friend, in which a number of methods of killing Sivankutty had allegedly been discussed.
• The girl and her family had been living in Kollam before moving to Karuvatta two years ago.
• The plan was reportedly inspired by a murder depicted in the film directed by A R Murugadoss.
• Investigators believe the accused created a crucial mistake by failing to delete their WhatsApp conversations concerning the murder plan.

According to Haripad Station House Officer Vinod Kumar, one of the accused informed investigators that the group had initially planned to remove the roof tiles of Sivankutty's house, enter the building, and drop a substantial stone on him while he was asleep. The plan was reportedly inspired by a murder depicted in the film directed by A R Murugadoss.

"The presence of a wooden ceiling beneath the roof tiles prevented them from carrying out the plan, " the SHO remarked. The investigation, which initially ruled out the involvement of a professional killer, eventually led police to a group of teenagers, including a 13-year-old girl.

Police reportedly recovered WhatsApp conversations between the girl and her male friend, in which a number of methods of killing Sivankutty had allegedly been discussed. These reportedly included poisoning him and running him over with a vehicle. Investigators additionally suspect that the group had approached a quotation gang in Karunagappally to carry out the murder. The gang allegedly refused the assignment despite being offered funds.

According to police, the accused travelled from Kollam to Karuvatta by train on Saturday night. After confirming that Sivankutty had fallen asleep, they allegedly climbed onto the roof and attempted to enter the house by removing the tiles.

When that failed, the girl reportedly sent a message to her male friend informing him regarding a substantial opening near a ventilator through which a person could enter. One of the accused allegedly entered the house through the ventilator and opened the door for the others. When Sivankutty heard the noise and walked up to check, the accused allegedly attacked him.

Investigators believe the accused created a crucial mistake by failing to delete their WhatsApp conversations concerning the murder plan. The chats are now believed to have provided significant evidence in the case. Police reportedly discovered that the 13-year-old had shared the location of Sivankutty's house with her male friend. Investigators additionally suspect that the girl watched the assault through a video call. Six sovereigns of gold were additionally looted.

Police suspect that the stolen gold was intended to finance the purchase of an iPhone for the girl and motorcycles for the other accused. This person are students from Paravur.

Meanwhile, the girl and her family had been living in Kollam before moving to Karuvatta two years ago. Sivankutty's wife, daughter, son-in-law and the accused girl had initially moved to Karuvatta and lived in a rented house. Sivankutty afterwards joined them and purchased 10 cents of land near the rented house to construct a home. Construction of the house was under way.

Investigators believe the murder plan was hatched after the girl's mother was admitted to the hospital last week for delivery. The allegation that Sivankutty had misbehaved with the girl has not been established as a motive, and investigators are examining whether the claim was created to create a false narrative and evade punishment.

Taken together, the developments around 'Teens planned Karuvatta murder inspired by Tamil film 'Spyder'': Kerala police point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.