Relatives of a woman patient ransacked the gynaecology department of RG Kar Hospital and beat up doctors on Thursday alleging that her newborn boy died because of negligence. The doctors said the baby was stillborn.

Five of the relatives were arrested and slapped with non-bailable charges under a new law for the protection of doctors and hospital property.

Tanusree Mondal, a resident of Ghola in Sodepur, North 24-Parganas, was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday. “She gave birth to a boy last night,” said Mahadeb Mondal, a relative.

When Tanusree’s family members, including her husband Sukhen, visited the hospital in the morning, the nurses informed them that the boy was stillborn. Alleging that the baby was alive after birth and died because of negligence, a mob later ransacked the labour room and the adjoining doctors’ room.

“The men broke the door of the doctors’ room and damaged the labour room,” said a doctor. The violence continued for an hour and a half from 10am. “The relatives beat up a postgraduate trainee while she was returning to her hostel and an assistant professor of gynaecology,” alleged Krishna Sen, the secretary of the Association of Health Service Doctors, RG Kar unit.

Hospital employees handed over Sukhen and four others to police. Doctors said the foetus got asphyxiated in the womb because of a rare condition known as “umbilical cord prolapse”.