Charges of negligence were levelled against the Woodlands Nursing Home authorities after a woman in her 40s committed suicide early on Thursday by hanging herself in her cabin.

The family members of Sumita Kastha, 43, lodged a complaint with the local police station saying if the nursing home staff had kept a closer watch on patients, this could never have happened.

“Although this is a clear case of suicide, the hospital authorities should have kept an eye on Sumita Kastha as they knew she was suffering from depression,” said Nanda Dulal Paul, officer-in-charge (OC) of Alipore police station.

The hospital authorities, however, denied the allegation. “The results of her examinations were normal. The psychiatrist was supposed to examine her on Thursday. We took all necessary steps to cure her and there was no negligence,” said Sumedha Sen, chief executive officer of the healthcare unit.

Sumita from Shantipur in Nadia had been admitted on August 11. She was vomiting frequently.

“Local doctors could not detect the exact cause of her ailment. I admitted her to such a prominent healthcare unit so that she could be treated better. Besides, the doctors had been told that she was suffering from depression,” Sumita’s husband Madhusudan Kastha told police.

After talking to the other two patients in her cabin, police came to know that Sumita committed suicide around 1.30 am on Thursday.

“The two other women saw her hanging from the iron rod of a window-curtain with a sari tied around her neck. They immediately raised an alarm,” said an officer of Alipore police station. “The hospital nursing staff promptly went there and brought her down. They placed her on a bed and alerted doctors.”

Doctors arrived within a few minutes and examined Sumita. But she was already dead.

As soon as the news reached her family members, protests began. OC Paul had to rush to the spot around 2.30 am and pacify the relatives.

Later, Madhusudan went to Alipore police station and lodged a complaint against the nursing home authorities for alleged negligence.