A 28-year-old jobless man has been arrested in Rajasthan’s Udaipur for allegedly attempting to kill his father to get his government job after getting the idea from a real-life crimes’ show on television, a police officer said.

DP Dadich, the officer, said Ankit Paliwal allegedly plotted the murder with the help of his friend Nikhil.

Dadich said Ankit Paliwal hatched the plan to kill Rakesh Paliwal to get his government schoolteacher’s job.

There is a policy for compassionate appointments of kin of government employees who die before their retirement.

Dadich said Nikhil has told them that he and Ankit Paliwal were planning to start a restaurant but did not have enough money for it. He added Ankit Paliwal allegedly came up with the idea of killing his father. Dadich said he thought after he gets his father’s job, they would able to start the restaurant.

He added as part of the plan, Nikhil on Tuesday allegedly threw a stone at Rakesh Paliwal while he was riding back home on a two-wheeler. But as he was wearing a helmet, he sustained minor injuries. Dadich said Nikhil did not get a second chance to execute his plan as people gathered on the road after the incident.

Rakesh Paliwal’s colleague, Mahipal Singh Chandrawat, who happened to be near the scene, noted the registration number of Nikhil’s scooty as he fled after throwing the stone. Chandrawat shared the number with the police. A First Information Report was lodged on the basis of his information and police on Friday tracked down Nikhil based on the number.

Dadich said Nikhil allegedly confessed to plotting the murder with Ankit Paliwal.

Dadich said Nikhil told them that his friend was unhappy with his father as the latter would never give him money. The father also did not approve of his son’s relationship with a woman, Dadich added.

Dadich said the two were presented before a court that has remanded them in police custody.