An unemployed youth has allegedly murdered his 90-year-old father in Nadia’s Nabadwip for refusing to pay Rs 2,000 to buy new clothes for his daughter this Puja.

Police said Radheshyam Debnath, 27, had strangled Narayan Chandra Debnath at their residence in Panshila Majherpara near Nabadwip around 9.30pm on Wednesday.

On the basis of a complaint lodged by Hareram Debnath, another son of the deceased, the police arrested the accused on Thursday morning. Radheshyam was remanded in 14 days of judicial custody by a court.

Local residents said the trouble between the father and the son had begun a few days back when the nonagenarian, a moneylender, had turned down the request for Rs 2,000. They said the accused was especially aggrieved because his father had recently helped the eldest brother, Madan, with money to start business.

“Radheshyam was in financial crisis. He is unemployed and earns a paltry sum sometimes by working as a farm labour,” said a relative.

“He had expected that his father would help him buy Puja clothes for his three-year-old daughter. But Narayan was angry with him for his lack of initiative to earn a regular living. This led to the brawl,” he added.

Prior to his production before a court, the accused held the father responsible for the incident.

“He treated me very badly. The money I had asked for would have been a loan. He abused me so much. I lost my cool,” said Radheshyam.

An investigating officer of Nabadwip police said the probe would examine if there were other reasons for the alleged crime.