Punjab CM appears in court over rioting case

Chandigarh, Aug 6

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Cabinet colleague Harpal Cheema on Saturday appeared in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Aman Inder Singh here in a two-year-old rioting case.

The AAP leaders led a party protest in January 2020 against the then Congress government led by Capt Amarinder Singh against the power tariff hike.

However, the court had granted exemption from appearance to another Cabinet minister Aman Arora.

A case was registered against AAP leaders, including Mann and Cheema, on charges of pelting Chandigarh Police with stones in a demonstration on January 10, 2020.

They were booked on charges of rioting, assault and obstructing police from performing their duties near the MLA hostel in Sector 4, Chandigarh.

In the previous hearing on March 23, Mann, Cheema and other leaders were asked to appear before the Chief Judicial Magistrate court.

Mann was represented by senior advocate Anmol Rattan Sidhu and advocate Pratham Sethi.

As per the police, half a dozen police personnel were injured when AAP supporters allegedly started throwing stones at them.