Chandigarh UT Challenges Quashing Of Rioting Case Against CM Bhagwant Mann, Other AAP Leaders Before SC

The Chandigarh Administration has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order for quashing of an FIR and subsequent proceedings against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, ministers Aman Arora, Harpal Singh Cheema and other AAP leaders, including Baljinder Kaur, Manjit Singh Bilaspur and Sarvjeet Kaur, before the Supreme Court.

The plea filed by the Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh was heard on Friday by a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi. The Chandigarh administration sought some time to implead some other persons who were granted relief by the high court in the matter.

In November last year, the high court had quashed the FIR, the chargesheet and all subsequent proceedings against Mann and others in the case. The FIR, registered in Chandigarh in January 2020, alleged that several AAP leaders, including Mann, and workers had gathered for a protest and the workers were incited to surround the residence of the then chief minister of Punjab.

It was alleged that the leaders and workers started pushing and shoving the police force deployed on the spot during the protest march against hike in electricity tariff.

Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya allowed multiple petitions filed under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure seeking quashing of FIR under Sections 147, 149, 332, and 353 of the Indian Penal Code.

Allegedly that AAP leaders led a crowd of approximately 750–800 party workers towards the Chief Minister’s residence after staging a protest against electricity tariff hikes, despite alleged prohibitory orders. Justice Dahiya held that there was a complete absence of material to establish offences under Sections 332 and 353 IPC, which pertain to voluntarily causing hurt and use of criminal force against public servants while discharging official duties. No independent witness identified the petitioners as having assaulted any police official.

"There was no reason for the police to stop the protestors from marching ahead towards the Chief Minister’s residence, as admittedly prohibitory order under Section 144 Cr.P.C. had not been issued. Nobody has been named from amongst the persons present who allegedly pelted stones on the police force. Besides, it is not the case that the petitioners asked them to do so. The nature of alleged instigation by the petitioners has also not been mentioned; nor have specific words or gestures of any kind been attributed to them," the high court noted.

It further held that there was no basis to ascribe the alleged act of throwing stones by the mob to the AAP leaders. "It is a case where no act, voluntary or otherwise, has been attributed to the petitioners. Instead, the allegations are that on shooting mild water on the mob they started pelting stones which hit the officials present there. The immediate trigger for the mob turning furious and behaving the way it did, appears to be shooting of water on them as per orders of the Duty Magistrate. The nature of injuries suffered by the officials are, abrasions, pain and swelling which could be the result of shoving and jostling by the mob in an effort to push its way ahead," the high court further noted.

The nature of injuries suffered by the officials was held to dispel any role of the AAP leaders, as the same were held to be a result of grappling and pushing, as discussed hereinbefore.

Case Title: Chandigarh UT vs. Bhagwant Mann and Ors.

Bench: CJI Kant, Justices Bagchi and Pancholi

Hearing Date: May 22, 2026