Supreme Court Seeks Response from Punjab CM on Protest Case Appeal
The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in response to an appeal by the Chandigarh Administration. This appeal challenges a decision by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which quashed a case of rioting and unlawful assembly against Mann and other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders.
The case originally stemmed from a protest march organized by AAP leaders, including Mann, in 2020. The protest, which was against an increase in electricity tariffs, led to a confrontation with the police. The protesters, who intended to march to the then-Punjab Chief Minister’s residence, were halted by police using a water cannon, reportedly resulting in stone-pelting incidents.
In November 2025, Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya of the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the charges against the AAP leaders. The court found no prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) had been violated during the protest. Justice Dahiya’s ruling emphasized that the police had no justifiable reason to stop the protest, and no evidence was presented linking the accused to the stone-pelting. The court noted the absence of any specific instigation or actions attributed to the petitioners that could substantiate the charges of rioting or assaulting police officials.
During the Supreme Court proceedings, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana, agreed to review the matter. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the Chandigarh administration, criticized the High Court’s reasoning as “perverse.” The Supreme Court has now directed that a notice be issued to CM Bhagwant Mann, indicating their intent to further investigate the circumstances surrounding the protest and the High Court’s decision to quash the case.
The case continues to attract significant attention as it progresses through the judicial system, with many keenly watching how the Supreme Court will rule on the matter.
