The Punjab Cricket Association bought land for Rs 58.22 crore that was recently purchased for much less. The ED said, “cognizable offences, including criminal conspiracy and cheating have been committed.” They asked the Mohali police to file an FIR. Many questions now surround these deals and the sharp price hike.
“It is apparent that land acquired by the PCA was purchased by various individuals/entities shortly before and thereafter sold to PCA within a few months at multiple times their purchase price and that cognizable offences, including criminal conspiracy and cheating have been committed,” the ED wrote to Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Varun Sharma. “The information is being shared under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for registration of an FIR, under appropriate sections…,” the ED wrote.
The Indian Express analysed multiple sale deeds and subsequent mutations relating to the 19.5 acres in Bhalla village, as cited by the ED in its October 12 communication to the Mohali SSP. The same transaction details had earlier been obtained under the Right to Information Act by RTI activist Rajiv Vashisth.
The sequence of events raises questions about the timing of the purchases and the sharp escalation in the price paid by the PCA. On August 2, 2025, the PCA’s apex committee met to discuss the purchase of land for a stadium in Amritsar. Five days later, on August 7, Future Homes bought 19.5 acres in Bhalla village from Kashmir Singh for Rs 2.95 crore (sale deed No. 1085). On August 20, the PCA issued an advertisement seeking land for a stadium.
On September 4, AGM Heights purchased 5.7 acres from Angrej Singh for Rs 86 lakh (sale deed No. 1221). On November 28, the company bought another two acres from Satwinder Singh and Sahibjeet Singh for a total of Rs 50 lakh (sale deed No. 1761).
On February 16, 2026, AGM Heights and Future Homes sold 19.5 acres of land to the PCA for Rs 58.22 crore through two sale deeds (Nos. 2324 and 2325). Four subsequent transactions between the two developers in Bhalla village on July 6 and 7 recorded prices ranging from Rs 31 lakh to Rs 33 lakh an acre.
Former first-class Ranji cricketer Rakesh Handa moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, alleging irregularities in the land purchase by the PCA management. His petition raised questions over the purchase of 18.5 acres in Bathinda and 19.5 acres in Amritsar. He also alleged that mandatory approvals from the PCA Governing Body or its Annual General Meeting had not been obtained for these purchases.
On August 18, 2026, the High Court issued notices to the ED and the PCA management, seeking their response. The ED submitted a status report in a sealed cover on September 18, informing the court that it had conducted a preliminary inquiry into allegations of money laundering linked to the land purchases. On Tuesday, the matter came up for hearing again, and the ED submitted its preliminary investigation report.
“The central question is how the price of agricultural land could increase nearly 20 times within a few months when land in the same village was still being transacted at around Rs 33 lakh an acre. This entire scam needs an in-depth probe by investigating agencies,” Vashisth told The Indian Express.
The Indian Express reached out to the PCA and found that neither the two real estate developers nor the sports body had obtained a Change of Land Use (CLU) approval for the agricultural land — a change that could have justified the whopping jump in rates. Official revenue records show that the collector rate for agricultural land in Bhalla village ranges from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 42 lakh an acre, depending on the location.
PCA president Amarjit Singh Mehta said the land had been purchased following the advertisement issued by the association in August 2025 and that any interested landowner could have approached it.
“The purchase followed the proper procedure,” Mehta said. Asked why the PCA had paid a price considerably higher than the prevailing rates, he said the land it had purchased was “now worth three times as much”.
The directors of AGM Heights and Future Homes were not available for comment.
Bhalla sarpanch Jai Mal Singh said the village was spread across 5,000 to 5,500 acres, on both flanks of the main Ajnala–Amritsar Airport road. The village has around 2,300 voters.
Asked whether landowners had complained that the companies bought their land at lower prices before selling it at substantially higher rates, Singh said “they have no complaints because nobody knew at the time that a stadium would come up here”.
Bathinda land deal also under ED scrutiny
In its communication to the Mohali SSP, submitted before the High Court, the ED also flagged the PCA’s purchase of land in Deon village, Bathinda, for a cricket stadium, alleging that society funds were misappropriated through transactions at inflated prices.
On December 20, 2024, the PCA purchased 100 kanal and 10 marla (12.5 acres and 10 marla) from Darshan Singh for Rs 19.76 crore. The ED’s letter also notes that PCA president Amarjit Singh Mehta hails from Bathinda and that his son, Padamjeet Singh Mehta, is the city’s Mayor.
The agency further stated that, following the transfer of PCA funds to private concerns and individuals, a substantial amount had been withdrawn in cash.