Idukki: The police has found that Philip Martin who shot dead a youth at Moolamattom carried out the crime due to a previous grudge with the roadside eatery.
Kanjar CI E K Soljimon has referred to the angle of personal enmity in the FIR. However, the police clarified that the accused sported no personal grudges against the victim. The altercation that happened at the roadside eatery led to the firing.
According to Jiju, a friend of the accused, Philip Martin was drunk at the time of the incident.
Jiju had accompanied Philip on Saturday evening. Since the latter had consumed liquor while returning from Koothatukulam, Jiju drove the vehicle on their way back.
On reaching the eatery, Philip ordered porotta and beef fry. The employee at the eatery said that they would serve potti instead of beef. Potti is a preparation made with goat intestine.
However, even the potti dish was not available later. Philip left the place soon after.
In the meantime, Philip saw the employee give away the potti dish in a parcel resulting in a heated argument.
During the quarrel people assembled outside assaulted Phillip, informed the police.
An agitated Philip went home in a rage and returned with a gun. The victim who passed through the area at the time fell prey to the bullets fired by Philip.
The police said they are examining the CCTV footage from the area. Pradeep Pushkaran, 32, who sustained serious injuries in the shooting incident, continues to be in a critical condition.
Philip's mother calls for probe
Meanwhile, Philip's mother has asked the police to probe what provoked her son to fire at the crowd in the eatery.
She argued that he was forced to fire the bullets in self defence.
People from the eatery assualted us, Lisa said.
"More than 50 individuals pursued us en route to the hospital," she added.
