Alappuzha (Keralam) | Four teenagers, including a 13-year-old girl, have been apprehended in connection with the recent murder of an elderly man at Karuvatta here, with police suspecting that the accused wanted to steal money to buy a high-end mobile and a bike, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused girl, an eighth-standard student, was a close relative of the deceased man, 65-year-old Sivankutty of Karuvatta in this coastal district.

The three other minors, a friend of the accused girl, were hailing from Paravur in Kollam district, police said.

According to police, Sivankutty was found dead inside his house on Monday morning. His wife and daughter were away at a hospital at the time, leaving him alone at home, police said.

The chain he was wearing and the gold kept in the house were reportedly missing.

The girl's statements during questioning reportedly raised suspicion, following which police intensified the investigation and detained the four teenagers.

Police suspect that the murder occurred during an attempt to steal gold kept at the house.

The girl allegedly informed the other teenagers about the possibility of gold being kept there, police sources said.

According to the preliminary investigation, the three teenagers from Paravur allegedly entered the house after breaking the sheet at the rear of the building and attacked Sivankutty during the attempted theft.

The body was found with the hands and legs tied and a cloth tightened around the neck, sources said.

"Theft is suspected to be the motive for the murder. The accused wanted to find money to buy a high-end mobile phone and a bike. More details will emerge after detailed interrogation and further investigation," a police officer said.

There were reports that the teenagers may have shown the killing to the 13-year-old girl through a video call, though this has not been confirmed by police.

The four teenagers were taken into custody as part of the investigation. Police said questioning is continuing to ascertain the exact sequence of events and the motive behind the murder.