The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on an appeal filed by the Chandigarh Administration challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment that quashed an FIR against Mann and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in connection with a 2020 protest over the hike in electricity tariffs.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana agreed to examine the challenge after Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Chandigarh Administration, argued that the High Court’s reasoning was “perverse.”
Indicating it would look into the issue, the Supreme Court issued notice to the opposing parties
The FIR was registered by Chandigarh Police after Mann and other AAP leaders allegedly led a protest march intending to gherao the residence of the then Punjab Chief Minister. The protesters were stopped by police using water cannons, following which stone-pelting was allegedly reported.
On November 29, 2025, Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya of the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the criminal proceedings. The High Court held that the police had no justification to stop the protest since no prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure were in force.
The Court further noted that none of the persons who allegedly pelted stones had been identified, nor was there any allegation that Mann or the other petitioners had instigated the violence. It observed that the prosecution had failed to attribute any specific words, gestures or acts of instigation to the accused.
Holding that the essential ingredients of offences such as rioting, unlawful assembly and assault on public servants were not made out, the High Court quashed the FIR.
Aggrieved by the decision, the Chandigarh Administration has now approached the Supreme Court, which has sought Mann’s response.
The post Supreme Court issues notice to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on Chandigarh administration’s appeal against quashing of protest FIR appeared first on India Legal.