Updated on: 27 Jul 2026
MUMBAI: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has approached the Bombay High Court against alleged defamatory social media posts and deepfake content linking him and his family to profits from the Centre’s E20 ethanol programme. The court has granted him permission to file a civil suit against Meta, other social media platforms and unidentified persons accused of hosting or circulating the content.
Gadkari, a strong advocate of ethanol blending, filed a leave petition under Clause XII of the Letters Patent, a procedural requirement applicable when part of the cause of action arises outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court.
The provision allows the High Court to hear a civil suit on its original side even if certain aspects of the dispute fall beyond its territorial limits.
According to the proposed suit, the disputed posts and deepfake content falsely linked Gadkari and his family to alleged financial gains from the E20 ethanol programme, even though the ethanol blending policy is administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The matter came up before Justice Abhay Ahuja, with advocate Sandeep S. Ladda appearing for Gadkari. He argued that the disputed online content was accessible and intended to be viewed by users in Mumbai, establishing a substantial part of the cause of action within the court’s jurisdiction.
The counsel also submitted that the same material was available across internet platforms outside Mumbai, making permission under Clause XII necessary.
After hearing the submissions, Justice Ahuja granted Gadkari leave to institute the civil suit.
The High Court proceedings come nearly two weeks after an FIR was registered in Nagpur against four social media influencers accused of spreading false information about the Union Minister in connection with the government’s E20 ethanol blending programme.
Those named in the FIR include YouTuber-turned-politician Manish Kashyap, Instagram account Desi Boys (desi_boysncr), and social media influencers Harshit Rathi and Ankleash Invatee.
Amid ongoing public debate over the Centre’s rollout of E20 fuel—a blend of 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol—the government has maintained that the fuel is safe for compatible vehicles and remains a key component of India’s energy transition and ethanol-blending strategy.
However, the policy has faced criticism from some motorists, automobile enthusiasts and social media influencers, who have raised concerns over fuel efficiency and claimed that higher ethanol blends could negatively affect older vehicles that are not designed to operate on E20 fuel.
