Alappuzha: The Kozhikode District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) will record a detailed statement from the 13-year-old girl accused of plotting the murder of her 67-year-old grandfather in Alappuzha, following a request from the Haripad police for professional counselling.

The police approached the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) after the girl gave conflicting accounts about the circumstances leading to the murder. The CWC has authorised the Kozhikode DCPO to conduct the session in the presence of a clinical psychologist and a professional counsellor, as the girl is currently staying at an observation home in Kozhikode.

In her initial statement, the girl allegedly told police that she had asked her male friend to kill her grandfather because he had behaved inappropriately towards her. She later changed her account, saying her grandfather had caught her attempting to steal gold from an almirah and that she planned the murder to prevent him from reporting the theft.

According to police, both alleged incidents took place between 8 pm and 9 pm on November 14. Investigators hope the counselling session will help establish a clearer account of what happened before the murder.

The 67-year-old man was found murdered at his rented house in Karuvatta, Haripad, on the night of November 15. Police have so far apprehended four people in connection with the murder and robbery, including the girl and her male friend.

The girl is currently at the Kozhikode observation home, while three other minors allegedly involved in the crime are housed at a juvenile home in Cherthala. The Juvenile Justice Board is scheduled to consider the police request for their custody on August 29.