HC quashes FIRs against Punjab CM Mann, AAP leaders; Advocate Anmol Rattan Sidhu represented Mann
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, November 30, 2025: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday quashed two criminal cases registered in 2020 and 2021 against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Aman Arora, and other Aam Aadmi Party leaders for allegedly leading “unlawful” protests in Chandigarh. Senior Advocate Anmol Rattan Sidhu represented Bhagwant Mann in the matter.
The first FIR, dated January 10, 2020, pertained to a protest march towards the then Chief Minister’s residence against the power tariff hike.
The second case, registered on October 6, 2021, involved a march towards the Governor’s House. In both instances, the protesters were stopped, police personnel reported minor injuries, and charge sheets were filed.
Click the links to read order copies:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ewsO6SlDa_lNT1jwCnu_NPobm6O67QY4/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XEmrJ1-XOOt6PBW_0wLZp5wjnn-8UaVK/view?usp=sharing
While examining the record, the court observed that there was no prohibitory order under Section 144 CrPC in force, and therefore no lawful basis for police to stop the march. It noted that nobody had been named for allegedly pelting stones, nor was it alleged that Mann or other petitioners instigated violence. The court emphasized that no specific words, gestures or acts of provocation were attributed to the petitioners.
The High Court held that the allegations primarily concerned the crowd turning unruly after water was sprayed on them, which appeared to be the immediate trigger as per the Duty Magistrate’s own account. The injuries suffered by police officials—mostly abrasions, swelling and minor pain—were consistent with “shoving and jostling” by a large crowd attempting to move past barricades, and not indicative of assault by the petitioners.
The court further ruled that the essential ingredients of offences under Sections 147, 148, 149, 332 and 353 of the IPC were not met. Since no act of violence, assault or use of criminal force was attributed to the accused leaders, and the assembly could not be treated as “unlawful” in the absence of prohibitory orders, the court found no grounds for continuation of proceedings.
Accordingly, the High Court quashed FIR No. 76 (2021), FIR No. 01 (2020), the accompanying chargesheets, and all consequential proceedings against the petitioners.