Decoding row over Sri Lanka's Muralitharan getting 'land for free' in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir faces political turmoil over alleged free land allotment to ex-Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan for a Rs 1,600 crore beverage plant in Kathua

A political storm has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir over the alleged free allotment of land to former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan in the Union Territory. The issue was raised in the Assembly on Saturday, with opposition legislators cornering the ruling National Conference (NC) over the matter.

 

CPI(M) legislator MY Tarigami and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed-ur-Rehmaan Parra criticised the government for reportedly granting evacuee property to the cricketer without any financial transaction. Tarigami, without naming Muralitharan, called for a clarification from the government.

 

“I am told a former Sri Lankan cricketer has been allotted land, which is an evacuee property, that too without [the cricketer] paying any penny. This is a serious matter. Land is not on sale for all. My concern is that the law of the land should be applicable equally to all. In this case, norms have been flouted,” Tarigami said, as reported by The Hindu.

 

 

Congress MLA Ghulam Ahmed Mir also sought an explanation from the government, questioning the decision to allot land to a non-Indian cricketer in Kathua without financial consideration. “Why has a non-Indian cricketer been given land in Kathua without getting a penny from him?” he asked.

 

What did the government say?

 

Responding to the Opposition's charges, Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Rural Development Javed Dar said the government had no information on the matter but would investigate. “This is a matter related to the revenue department. We do not have any information, and we will look into it to know the facts,” he said, as quoted by PTI.

 

Notably, a report published in The Indian Express in July 2024 stated that during the Lieutenant Governor’s administration, Muttiah Muralitharan’s company, Ceylon Beverages, was allotted 25.75 acres (206 kanals) of land in Kathua for a Rs 1,600 crore soft drinks bottling and aluminium can-manufacturing plant.

 

According to Director of Jammu’s Industries and Commerce Department, Dr Arun Kumar Manhas, the lease deed was executed with department on June 14, 2025. 

 

All about Ceylon Beverage

 

Ceylon Beverage Can Pvt Ltd, established in 2020 and promoted by Muralitharan, is a Sri Lankan company specialising in the production of aluminum beverage cans. The company manufactures eight different sizes of slim, sleek, and standard cans, catering to a diverse range of customer labels. They collaborate with various firms to produce mineral water, energy drinks, soft drinks, and flavoured milk.

 

In 2023, Ceylon Beverage announced its plan to enter the Indian market after it was allotted land in Dharwad, Karnataka by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board. In May 2023, Ceylon Beverage entered into a strategic partnership with Reliance Consumer Products to manufacture cans for the Campa soft drink.