Nitin Gadkari goes to High Court against posts linking him, family to E20 gains
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has approached the Bombay High Court against defamatory posts and deepfake content linking him and his family to profits from the
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has approached the Bombay High Court against defamatory posts and deepfake content linking him and his family to profits from the E20 ethanol programme, with the court granting him permission to file a civil suit against Meta, other social media platforms and unidentified entities alleged to have hosted or helped spread the materials. Gadkari, who has emerged as one of the government's most prominent advocate of ethanol blending, filed a leave petition under Clause XII of the Letters Patent, a procedural requirement that must be invoked when part of the cause of action arises outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court.
Read Full Story The provision enables the court to entertain a suit on its original civil side even when aspects of the dispute extend beyond its territorial limits. According to the proposed suit, the disputed material includes posts and deepfake content linking Gadkari and his family to alleged profits from the E20 ethanol programme, despite the ethanol blending policy being administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The matter was heard by Justice Abhay Ahuja, with advocate Sandeep S Ladda appearing for Gadkari, arguing that the online materials were accessible to users in Mumbai and intended to be viewed there, giving rise to a substantial part of the cause of action within the court's jurisdiction.
At the same time, he submitted that the same material was also available outside Mumbai through internet platforms, making leave under Clause XII necessary. After hearing the submissions, Justice Ahuja granted Gadkari permission to institute the suit. The development comes nearly two weeks after an FIR was registered in Nagpur against four social media influencers accused of spreading fake information about the Union Minister in connection to the government's E20 blending programme. The FIR names renowned YouTuber-politician Manish Kashyap, an Instagram account Desi Boys (desi_boysncr) and influencers Harshit Rathi and Ankleash Invatee. Amid growing 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 consistently maintained that it is safe for compatible vehicles and forms a key pillar of India's energy transition and ethanol-blending programme.
The policy has, however, drawn criticism from some motorists, automobile enthusiasts and social media influencers, who have questioned its impact on fuel efficiency and claimed that higher ethanol blends could adversely affect older vehicles that are not designed to run on E20 fuel. Ends
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