LUCKNOW, Aug. 17 -- The investigation into the Ram Mandir donation theft case has entered a new phase, with the state government handing over the lead probe to a senior police officer.

According to officials, the case, which was earlier being investigated by Ayodhya circle officer (CO) Ashutosh Tewari, has now been assigned to Barabanki additional superintendent of police (ASP) Ritesh Kumar Singh.

With the change, Ayodhya CO Ashutosh Tewari has been designated as the co-investigating officer.

The overall supervision and monitoring of the probe will be done by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IG, Lucknow Range, Kiran S, in accordance with the Supreme Court's directions.

After the Supreme Court ordered an SIT headed by a sen...