The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked Mohali police to register an FIR against the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) over land purchases worth ₹78 crore in Amritsar’s Ajnala and Bathinda, alleging that it bought land at prices far above its earlier purchase costs and government collector rates.
In a letter dated October 12 to the Mohali senior superintendent of police, the agency flagged fund transfers to company directors, partners and other individuals after the sellers received payments from the association. The PCA is currently headed by Amarjeet Singh Mehta, a senior AAP leader from Bathinda, who has been at the helm since February 2023.
The letter, issued under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, states that the PCA bought 155 kanals and 15 marlas in Ajnala for ₹58 crore and 100 kanals and 10 marlas in Bathinda for ₹20 crore.
In Bathinda’s Deon village, the PCA paid one Darshan Singh ₹20 crore, around four times the government collector rate of ₹5 lakh per kanal, the ED said. It described this as the highest rate paid for a single land transaction in the area during 2024-25, adding that the second-highest rate was ₹8 lakh per kanal.
The letter claims in Ajnala, two firms, AGM Heights Pvt Ltd and Future Homes, bought land from local farmers between August and November 2025 for a combined ₹7 crore. On February 16, 2026, they sold 155 kanals and 15 marlas to the PCA for ₹58 crore, within three to six months of their purchases.
{{/usCountry}}The letter claims in Ajnala, two firms, AGM Heights Pvt Ltd and Future Homes, bought land from local farmers between August and November 2025 for a combined ₹7 crore. On February 16, 2026, they sold 155 kanals and 15 marlas to the PCA for ₹58 crore, within three to six months of their purchases.
{{/usCountry}}Matter came to light after ex-Ranji player moved HC
The probe agency had investigated matter after former Ranji player Rakesh Handa, challenging termination of his membership, reached high court in August and alleged that upon his complaints of financial bungling in the PCA, his membership was terminated on May 21, 2026 without giving him opportunity of hearing. Handa, represented the Punjab Ranji team from 1978 to 1982. “On October 13, the matter was listed for hearing. However, the petition was disposed of by the court as PCA contended that his termination case is a civil dispute and that he should file a civil suit,” said his lawyer Shekhar Verma. The ED’s letter and affidavit has not been taken on record by the high court. However, it was supplied to all the parties, that is how it became public.
The ED’s letter states that the PCA bought the parcels at “about 15 times the price paid by the said two firms 3 to 6 months earlier”.
The agency also examined bank transactions following the sales. It said AGM Heights received about ₹12 crore, excluding tax deducted at source, and transferred ₹4 crore to one Harimohan Kaur Randhawa, ₹2 crore to director Gurpreet Singh and ₹69 lakh to GS Constructor.
As of Future Homes, it received about ₹46 crore, excluding TDS, from the PCA. the firm transferred ₹45 crore to its partners, Ramneek Singh and Shallu Dhingra, in equal amounts of ₹22 crore each. It also flagged payments to other individuals and a transfer to AGM Heights, ED said.
The agency said Darshan Singh, a seller received about ₹19.57 crore, excluding TDS, across three bank accounts, after which most funds moved to other persons and ₹44.60 lakh was withdrawn in cash. The preliminary enquiries “prima facie” indicate possible misappropriation of society funds and cash withdrawals after payments. The transactions point to suspected criminal conspiracy and cheating under Sections 61(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the letter said.
“PCA chief Amarjeet Singh Mehta hails from Bathinda. His son Padamjeet Singh Mehta is the mayor. Thus, Amarjeet is the influential person in Bathinda, the place where 100 kanals and 10 marlas was purchased on December 20, 2024, from Darshan Singh,” the letter says.
The agency has enclosed the sale and purchase documents of these land deals and asked the SSP to supply an early copy of the FIR after its registration. HT’s calls and texts to PCA chief did not elicit any response.
The federal agency’s charges
*According to ED, PCA bought 155 kanals and 15 marlas in Ajnala for ₹58 crore and 100 kanals and 10 marlas in Bathinda for ₹20 crore.
*In Bathinda’s Deon village, PCA paid one Darshan Singh ₹20 crore, around four times the government collector rate of ₹5 lakh per kanal—the highest rate paid for a single land transaction in the area during 2024-25
*In Ajnala, two firms, AGM Heights Pvt Ltd and Future Homes, bought land from local farmers between Aug-November 2025 for ₹7 crore. On February 16, 2026, they sold 155 kanals to PCA for ₹58 crore within three to six months of their purchases.
*The agency flagged fund transfers to company directors, partners and other individuals after sellers received payments from the PCA.