Med store owner dies in custody, cops booked

Lucknow: The death of 55-year-old medical store owner, Ramgopal Srivastava, in police custody at Ramgaon police station triggered serious allegations of custodial violence, extortion, and procedural lapses, raising troubling questions about police conduct in the district. Srivastava, who had no criminal past, died on Friday while an FIR was registered on Saturday. Following a complaint by Srivastava's son, Ramgaon SHO Gurusen Singh, along with other unidentified policemen, have been booked for murder. Circle officer Pawan Kumar confirmed that the probe was transferred to another police station to ensure impartiality. "Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty. The post-mortem findings will also be part of the investigation," he said. According to the deceased's nephew, Ayush Srivastava, Ramgopal was picked up by the police from his medical store around 6 pm on Thursday without being informed of the charges against him. When family members reached the police station to enquire, they were allegedly abused and driven away. "My uncle was locked in a room and beaten. We could hear his screams from outside," Ayush said, breaking down. He further alleged that even a disabled elderly family member was verbally abused and chased away by the station in-charge. The family accused the police of killing Ramgopal over alleged extortion demands, claiming he was targeted after refusing to comply. Police, however, denied the allegations of custodial violence. The CO said that Ramgopal "came to the police station along with his nephew in connection with a rape allegation involving a minor". According to the police version, Ramgopal's health suddenly deteriorated during questioning, after which he was taken to a hospital by senior sub-inspector Shailendra Yadav. He was later referred to the district hospital, where he died during treatment. The family strongly disputed this account, alleging that the rape case was registered only at 9:38 pm—after Ramgopal's detention—raising suspicions that the charges were fabricated to justify his illegal custody and subsequent death.