A man was arrested on Wednesday for killing his 28-year-old son in a fit of anger at Harpur Badheta in the Sarai Ranjan area, nearly 20km south of the district headquarters.

Police said 48-year-old Phulchand Ram stabbed Vijay Kumar Ram with a sharp-edged weapon around 10pm on Tuesday. Vijay was taken to Samastipur sadar hospital, but doctors in the health hub declared he was brought dead.

Phulchandra was produced before a court on Wednesday that sent him to 14 days of judicial custody in the district jail. The police added that Phulchand, on realising that his younger son, Sanjay Ram, from New Delhi had sent around Rs 2,500 to Vijay, he demanded Rs 500 from the latter.

However, when Vijay refused to give him the money, Phulchand allegedly got angry with him and attacked him with the weapon. Sources said Vijay refused to pay money to his father, fearing that he might spend the amount on alcohol. Phulchand had lost his landed property for his drinking habit.

“We arrested Phulchand for killing his son on Tuesday night. He has admitted to the crime in a fit of rage. A murder case has been registered against Phulchand,” station house officer of Sarai Ranjan police station Gopal Mandal told The Telegraph.

“Vijay’s body has been sent to Samastipur sadar hospital for post-mortem. We are awaiting the report,” he added.

Vijay, a daily wage earner, is survived by his wife and three children.

The sources said Phulchand used to work as a rickshaw-puller in Delhi and had come home one-and-a-half month ago. He had already sold his landed property for his drinking habit, a source said.