Supreme Court Revives 2020 Protest Case Against Punjab CM Mann

The Supreme Court of India has recently taken a significant step by issuing a notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann regarding a protest case from 2020. This case is associated with a demonstration that took place in Chandigarh against the rising electricity tariffs. The bench, which includes Chief Justice of India-designate Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohan, is set to review the circumstances surrounding the case, following a petition from the Chandigarh Administration that contested a previous ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. This earlier decision had dismissed the criminal proceedings against Mann and several other leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The origins of this case can be traced back to an FIR filed by the Chandigarh Police in 2020, which accused Mann and other AAP officials of orchestrating a protest march aimed at surrounding the residence of the then Chief Minister of Punjab. The situation escalated when police intervened using water cannons to disperse the crowd, leading to reports of stone-pelting incidents directed at law enforcement. In light of these events, charges of rioting and unlawful assembly were brought against Mann and his associates. However, on November 29, 2025, Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya of the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled in favor of Mann, quashing the case against him and others involved. This ruling prompted the Chandigarh Administration to appeal to the Supreme Court, which has now agreed to reconsider the matter and has requested responses from the parties involved.