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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 senior officer, the state government constituted the second SIT under Kiran S. Other members of the team are DIG (Ayodhya) Somen Barma, Ayodhya SSP Gaurav Grover and Barabanki ASP Ritesh Kumar Singh.
The SIT is responsible for ensuring a thorough and impartial investigation.
Background and arrests
The FIR in the donation theft case was registered on June 25. So far, all eight accused named in the FIR have been arrested and sent to jail.
As the FIR also invoked provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the initial investigation was handed over to Ayodhya CO Ashutosh Tewari. With the new SIT in place, the case file has now been transferred to ASP Ritesh Singh, who will lead the investigation.
Possibility of more names
At present, no additional names have been added beyond those already mentioned in the FIR.
However, sources said the probe could widen. One prominent name has been under discussion for several days and was also mentioned in the SIT’s preliminary report.
According to officials familiar with the matter, one or two more names could be added to the case as the investigation progresses.
What happens next
With ASP Ritesh Singh leading the probe under the supervision of IG Kiran S, the focus will be on financial trails, donor records and the role of officials and contractors involved in handling temple donations.
The report of the separate SIT headed by the divisional commissioner is expected to examine policy and procedural gaps that may have contributed to the alleged theft.
The case remains one of the closely watched investigations in Ayodhya, given the religious and public significance of the Ram Mandir.
