Indian police have sealed a private hospital and charged staff with manslaughter after a newborn baby was mauled to death by dogs inside an operating theatre.

The three-hour-old baby was attacked by the pack of dogs, who got into the hospital through a window, before relatives heard growling inside the room early on Monday in Farrukhabad district, 110 miles (180km) from Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

Police said the newborn had injuries all over his body and were expecting a postmortem report to confirm the exact cause of death.

“The family alleged the baby was left unattended inside the theatre with windows open, leading to the attack,” said Ved Prakash Panday, the investigating officer.

“We are waiting for the postmortem report before arrests can be made over the death.” he said.

The family said officials at Akash Ganga hospital initially told them the baby was stillborn, and when challenged they offered the relatives money to keep the matter hushed up.

Authorities said the hospital was functioning without a licence and may face penalties for operating illegally.

India has more than 30 million stray dogs and approximately 20,000 people die every year of rabies, almost 35% of the global deaths caused by the virus.

Reports of strays roaming hospitals are common in India, which suffers from creaking healthcare infrastructure, particularly in small cities and towns.

Last week dogs were found sleeping on beds at a government-run hospital in the state, triggering local protests.