Malda, Sept. 20: A teacher in Malda has been booked for allegedly raping a 17-year-old girl, who stayed as his paying guest for two years.

The victim, a Class XII student, hails from Kaliachak-II block, but studied in a school in Malda town.

She stayed as a paying guest at the rented house of Ismail Hussain, a 27-year-old chemistry teacher.

Hussain, married with a five-year-old daughter, stayed in Malda town because he gave tuition to students, though he taught in a school in Mothabari, 20km from here. His family did not stay with him.

Mothabari is in Kaliachak-II and the girl’s father Anwarul Haque knew Hussain.

“He (Hussain) was an excellent student and that is why I thought of keeping my daughter in his rented house hoping he would help her with her studies. I never thought he would harm her,” he said.

Hussain did help the girl with her lessons, but did not charge any fee.

“About three to four months back, my daughter told me that they were in a physical relationship. I was shocked and brought my daughter back,” the father said.

Oddly, he did not file any complaint then.

This morning, when the girl was on her way to school, Hussain allegedly caught hold of her.

“When I refused to go with him, he tried to drag me away. I shouted for help,” the girl said, sitting at the Englishbazar police station.

The girl then called her father who took her to the police station. They lodged a complaint, charging Hussain with rape. The teacher was arrested in the afternoon.

At the police station, he admitted that he had a physical relationship with the girl. Hussain said he loved her and wanted to marry her.

Satyajit Banerjee, superintendent of police, reprimanded the girl’s family. “They are to be blamed. They let her stay for two years with a young man who lived alone,” he said.

“We have registered a rape case against the teacher on the basis of a complaint lodged by the girl’s father.”