Former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan has decided to withdraw an investment worth Rs. 1650 crore from Jammu and Kashmir following allegations that he acquired state land for free.
Muralitharan’s company, Ceylon Beverages, has now opted to relocate the beverage factory project to Pune instead.
The controversy erupted when the Jammu and Kashmir State Assembly raised concerns over how 26 acres of land were allocated for the investment of a non-Indian cricketer.
Reacting swiftly, Muralitharan withdrew the investment the very next day after the issue was raised in the assembly.
The land in question had been designated for the construction of a beverage factory in the Kakuwa area of Kashmir.
Ceylon Beverages, which was established in 2000, already operates factories in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
