A man allegedly attacked his girlfriend with a knife inside a guest house in Sealdah on Sunday evening.

The woman was rescued bleeding. The man, from Chennai, was arrested later the same night.

Police said they received information on Sunday evening about a guest being attacked by her friend in the room they had booked.

Baishakhi Das, 38, a resident of North 24-Parganas, was taken to NRS Medical College and Hospital. Her friend, Pradeep Kumar Selvaraj, 40, was still in the room and was initially detained.

Later, based on the woman's statement in the hospital, he was arrested.

During interrogation, it emerged that Selvaraj had met the woman about four months ago during a visit to Calcutta and had remained in touch with her through phone calls and WhatsApp,” said an officer of Muchipara police station.

The police said Selvaraj returned to Calcutta about 18 days ago, after which the two travelled to Digha and stayed there for about 15 days. They later returned to the city and checked into the Sealdah guest house last Friday.

Selvaraj has told the police that he was unemployed and attempted to end his life by consuming rat poison when the woman tried to stop him.

“According to him, in a fit of rage, he slashed her shoulder with a knife that he said he had purchased from the Sealdah market to end his own life,” said the officer.

The police said they seized a sharp-edged knife from room No. 412 of the guest house. Bloodstains were found on the bedsheet and the floor, officers said.

During the investigation, the police also learnt that Selvaraj had been unemployed for the past four years and had earlier travelled to Dubai, where his sister lives, in search of work but was unsuccessful.

Selvaraj has been arrested for an alleged attempt to murder.

He was produced before the Sealdah court on Monday and sent in police remand for seven days.