Bombay High Court Allows Nitin Gadkari to Sue Meta, Google Over Alleged Defamatory E20 Posts
Bombay High Court Allows Nitin Gadkari to Sue Meta, Google Over Alleged Defamatory E20 Posts
28 July, 2026: The Bombay High Court has permitted Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to initiate civil proceedings against Meta, Google, X (formerly Twitter) and other digital platforms over allegedly defamatory content linking him and his family to profits from India’s E20 ethanol-blended fuel programme.
Justice Abhay Ahuja of the Bombay High Court allowed Gadkari to file the suit and seek interim relief, including a temporary injunction directing social media platforms to remove the disputed content. The court’s order follows Gadkari’s claim that fabricated posts, videos and AI-generated deepfakes falsely associated him with financial gains from the government’s Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme.
In his petition, Gadkari alleged that malicious content circulated across platforms, including posts, reels, videos and photographs, misused his name, image and likeness without his consent. The plea stated that AI-generated and digitally manipulated material was designed to spread misinformation, damage his reputation and mislead the public.
The Union Minister sought permission to file the suit under Clause XII of the Letters Patent Act, 1866, while also requesting interim directions for the immediate removal of the allegedly defamatory content from online platforms.
The controversy centres on the E20 fuel initiative, under which petrol contains 20 per cent ethanol blended with conventional fuel. Introduced to reduce crude oil imports and vehicle emissions, the programme achieved the E20 milestone in 2025, ahead of its original target. However, the policy has drawn criticism from some vehicle owners, particularly those driving models manufactured before 2023, who have raised concerns over fuel compatibility.
Gadkari has consistently defended the ethanol blending programme, challenging critics to produce evidence of vehicles suffering damage due to E20 fuel. “Name one car that has faced problems because of E20 petrol,” he had said while responding to criticism earlier this month.
The petition further claimed that the defamatory content had been intentionally created and circulated to falsely suggest that Gadkari and his family benefited financially from the ethanol policy. According to the minister, the posts were abusive, misleading and capable of creating public confusion.
Based on the digital evidence submitted, police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, against individuals accused of creating and sharing the alleged deepfake videos and defamatory material.
The complaint follows an earlier FIR registered in Maharashtra against several content creators accused of spreading false information about Gadkari. The case reportedly names YouTube creator Manish Kashyap and posts from other social media accounts, including Desi Boys, Harshit Rathi and Ankesh Tiwari. Authorities have alleged that the content contained baseless claims linking Gadkari to E20 fuel profits and had the potential to mislead the public and disturb public order.
The case comes amid heightened political attention surrounding misinformation and AI-generated content on social media, with the High Court proceedings expected to determine the responsibility of digital platforms in handling allegedly defamatory content.
