Following the death of a middle-aged woman at Jayaprakash Narayan Hospital on Wednesday, relatives and supporters of Gaya Municipal Corporation (GMC) mayor Vibha Devi beat up a doctor, nurse and a homeguard jawan deputed at the hospital alleging negligence in treatment.

They also created a ruckus on the hospital campus between 7am and 8am. The mayor and her husband Indradev Yadav were also present on the hospital campus at the time of the incident. Four separate FIRs have been lodged in this connection with Kotwali police station against mayor, her husband and their relatives and supporters. One Ravindra Yadav, the mayor’s brother-in-law, has been arrested in this connection.

On the other hand, not satisfied with the arrest of Ravindra, doctors at the hospital have threatened to go on strike if mayor and her husband were not arrested by 8am on Thursday. Indian Medical Association (IMA) Gaya branch secretary Ramsevak Prasad Singh said a decision with this effect was taken at a meeting of the IMA executive body and the Bihar State Health Services Association (BSHSA) officials held on Wednesday evening.

Soon after the incident, the IMA Gaya branch had demanded arrest of mayor and her husband within 24 hours. If the duo are not arrested by Thursday, a general meeting of IMA would be called on November 22 to decide further course of action, Singh said. IMA Gaya branch president Shivbachan Singh, Gaya civil surgeon Vijay Kumar Sinha, hospital deputy superintendent S.Z. Ahsan and other doctors attended the Wednesday evening meeting.

According to reports, Keshari Devi (45), wife of Gopal Yadav of Kandi Nawada locality, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday evening. She had complained of pain in abdomen. While working in the field the lady had slipped and got injured. The attending doctors at the hospital referred her to Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital as ultrasound and X-ray were required for proper diagnosis and these facilities are not available at JPN Hospital. But relatives of the lady stayed at JPN Hospital. Around 5.15am on Wednesday, the doctors declared the woman dead.

Deputy superintendent Ahsan said the woman’s relatives had left the hospital with the body. Around half-an-hour after the mayor and her husband arrived at the hospital with the body and other supporters. They beat up doctor Chandrashekhar Prasad on duty besides nurse Lalita Devi and homeguard jawan Shivshankar Pandit. In the incident, one hand of the jawan got fractured while Prasad also received injury on his face. They also damaged a blood pressure machine, oxygen cylinder meter and a table in the emergency ward.

Gaya senior superintendent of police Nishant Kumar Tiwari said four separate FIRs have been lodged with Kotwali police station on the statement of Ahsan, Prasad, Lalita Devi and Pandit. He also confirmed Ravindra’s arrest.