Chaitali Das, 20, committed suicide by setting herself on fire at her Anandanagar home, in Bally, on Sunday morning, reportedly after being jilted by her tutor.

Chaitali (picture left) was rushed to Uttarpara State General Hospital with 80 per cent burns and was later shifted to Medical College Hospital, where she died around 4.30pm.

Mithun Tudu, 45, with whom Chaitali reportedly had an affair, has been arrested following a complaint from her family. “He will be produced in court tomorrow,” said Asit Sau, the inspector-in-charge of Bally police station.

The girl’s affair with Tudu started after she joined Class XI of Anandanagar Uccha Vidyalaya, Bally. Tudu is a history teacher in the school.

He also taught her English, Bengali and history at home. Tudu kept visiting her house even after Chaitali joined college. Of late, she had started pressing Tudu for marriage. But he refused.

“The teacher stayed in a rented flat in Anandanagar. Yesterday, he called Chaitali on her cellphone, asking her to come to his flat around 2.30pm. After she went there, Tudu told her that he could not marry her as he was already married and had a child. Chaitali got depressed after that,” said the girl’s aunt, Tandra Das.

Around 10.30am on Sunday, Chaitali locked herself in her room, poured kerosene on herself and set herself ablaze. “I heard a cry and saw smoke coming out of her room. I broke open the door and found her in flames,” said father Mahadeb.

Tudu denied having promised the girl to marry her. “I loved her but made it clear that I could not marry her,” he said.