Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 27 (IANS): One person was killed and another grievously injured in gunshot firing when a man fired at them near a wayside eatery in Moolamattam of Kerala's Idukki.

The incdient happened late Saturday night. The deceased has been identified as Sanal Sabu while his friend Pradeep is battling for life at a private hospital in Thodupuzha.

Police have arrested a person, Martin Joseph for the crime.

Soumya, the owner of the wayside eatery while speaking to IANS said, "Two persons reached the shop late on Saturday night and created issues when we told them that meat curry was not there and I was exhausted as it was late in the night.

"The men became violent and started showering abuses at me when two youths who were having food at the eatery intervened and asked the men to keep quiet. This infuriated the men and one of them entered into a physical confrontation with the youths. After that they went off and then came back and fired at these two youths, one died on the spot after being hit by a bullet on his head. The other is battling for life at a private hospital."

Police said that the detained person, Martin Joseph has confessed to the crime. He had stolen a local country rifle from someone else, said the police.

Joseph was said to be in an inebriated condition at the time of the incident.

With Pradeep's condition turning critical, the situation in Idukki was tense and a heavy police contingent was deployed.