BJP alleges ₹77.99 crore land scam by Punjab Cricket Association
Synopsis
The Punjab BJP has cited an Enforcement Directorate letter to Mohali police to allege a ₹77.99 crore land scam at the Punjab Cricket Association, claiming land sold to PCA was bought from farmers at prices up to 15.4 times lower just months earlier — and that the PCA chief and his son are AAP leaders now under the ED's lens.
Key Takeaways
Punjab BJP has alleged a ₹77.99 crore land scam involving the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) , citing an ED letter to the Mohali SSP .
Land in Ajnala and Bathinda was allegedly bought from farmers at low prices and sold to PCA at prices reportedly 15.4 times higher .
PCA reportedly paid ₹58 crore for land in Ajnala and ₹19.76 crore for land in Bathinda.
BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon demanded an immediate FIR from the Mohali SSP and a time-bound probe.
The PCA president and his son are described as senior AAP leaders; the AAP government has not yet publicly responded.
All allegations are at a preliminary stage; no court has made any finding against named individuals.
The Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, 16 October, levelled serious allegations of a ₹77.99 crore land scam involving the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), citing a letter from the Jalandhar Zone of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Mohali seeking registration of a case. The party claimed that the PCA president and his son are senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and are now on the ED's radar.
What the ED Letter Revealed
According to the BJP, the ED's preliminary investigation has uncovered that land was allegedly purchased from farmers in Ajnala and Bathinda at low prices during the tenure of Amarjeet Mehta and Padamjeet Mehta, and subsequently sold to the PCA at prices reportedly 15.4 times higher. The PCA is said to have purchased 155 kanals and 15 marlas of land in Ajnala for ₹58 crore and 100 kanals and 10 marlas in Bathinda for approximately ₹19.76 crore.
The Price Inflation at the Centre of the Allegations
The BJP's account of the alleged transactions points to a sharp and rapid escalation in land values. One company reportedly purchased 61 kanals of land from farmers at ₹2.22 lakh per kanal — a total of ₹1.36 crore — and sold it to the PCA just four months later at ₹37.4 lakh per kanal, fetching ₹12.03 crore. Separately, another company allegedly bought 224 kanals from farmers for ₹5.56 crore and sold it to the PCA for ₹46.18 crore — a gain of over ₹40 crore in a short period, according to the BJP.
BJP's Demands and Political Charge
Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon said in a statement: 'Another new scandal involving the government has come to light. The PCA President and his son are senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party and are on the ED's radar.' He questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directly, saying the CM must explain how land prices increased 15-fold within just four months. Dhillon demanded that the Mohali SSP immediately register an FIR and called for a time-bound investigation with strict action against those found guilty.
The Broader Political Context
This comes amid escalating BJP-AAP friction in Punjab, where the ruling party has been under scrutiny on multiple governance fronts. The BJP alleged that the AAP government, which had promised to promote cricket in the state, had instead turned the PCA into what Dhillon called 'a factory for exploiting farmers.' Critics argue the allegations — surfacing ahead of Punjab's political calendar — reflect the BJP's strategy of using central agency referrals to corner the AAP administration. The AAP government has not yet issued an official response to the claims.
What Happens Next
The ED's letter to the Mohali SSP is a formal request for police registration of the case, which would be a necessary precursor to a full-fledged criminal investigation. Whether the Punjab Police — which operates under the state government — registers the FIR will be closely watched as a test of institutional independence. All allegations remain unproven at this stage, and no court has returned a finding against any individual named in the BJP's claims.
Point of View
The price-inflation figures cited, if verified, would be difficult to explain by market forces alone within a four-month window. The more significant stress-test here is for the Punjab Police: registering an FIR demanded by the opposition against leaders of the ruling party tests institutional independence in a state where the AAP administration controls the police hierarchy. How Mohali's SSP responds will matter as much as the ED's eventual findings.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Punjab Cricket Association land scam alleged by the BJP?
The BJP alleges that land in Ajnala and Bathinda was bought from farmers at low prices and sold to the Punjab Cricket Association at rates up to 15.4 times higher, resulting in an alleged ₹77.99 crore scam. The party cited an Enforcement Directorate letter to the Mohali SSP seeking registration of a case.
Who are the key figures named in the BJP's allegations?
BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon named Amarjeet Mehta and Padamjeet Mehta, who he described as the PCA president and his son and as senior AAP leaders. The AAP government has not yet publicly responded to these claims.
What are the BJP's demands in the PCA land case?
The BJP has demanded that the Mohali SSP immediately register an FIR in the case and conduct a time-bound investigation, with strict action against anyone found guilty. It has also called on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to explain the alleged 15-fold land price increase within four months.
What is the current status of the ED investigation?
The Enforcement Directorate's Jalandhar Zone has written to the Mohali SSP seeking registration of a case, indicating a preliminary investigation stage. No FIR has been registered and no charges have been filed in court as of 16 October 2026.
How does this fit into the broader BJP-AAP political battle in Punjab?
This allegation is part of a sustained BJP effort to target the AAP government in Punjab on governance issues. The timing — with the ED referral made public by the state BJP chief — signals an escalation in political confrontation ahead of Punjab's next electoral cycle.
