Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has approached the Bombay High Court over allegedly defamatory social media content and deepfake videos that purportedly connect him and his family with financial benefits from the government's E20 ethanol-blending programme.

The court has allowed Gadkari to proceed with a civil suit against Meta, other social media platforms and unidentified parties who are alleged to have created, hosted or circulated the disputed material.

Gadkari sought the court's permission through a petition under Clause XII of the Letters Patent. The procedural step is required when a portion of the events giving rise to a legal dispute occurs beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court.

The provision allows the court to hear an original civil matter when at least part of the cause of action falls within its jurisdiction, even if other aspects of the dispute are connected to locations outside its territorial boundaries.

According to the proposed legal action, the online content allegedly attempts to associate Gadkari and members of his family with supposed profits arising from the E20 programme. The ethanol-blending policy, however, is administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The matter was heard by Justice Abhay Ahuja. Advocate Sandeep S Ladda, representing Gadkari, submitted that the disputed content was available to internet users in Mumbai and was intended to be accessed there, establishing a significant part of the cause of action within the court's jurisdiction.

At the same time, the lawyer pointed out that the material was also accessible in other parts of the country through online platforms. This, he argued, made it necessary for Gadkari to obtain leave under Clause XII before filing the proposed suit.

After considering the submissions, Justice Ahuja granted Gadkari permission to institute the civil proceedings.

FIR Over Alleged Misinformation

The High Court development follows an FIR registered in Nagpur nearly two weeks earlier against four social media personalities accused of allegedly circulating false information about Gadkari in connection with the E20 fuel programme.

Those named in the case include YouTuber and politician Manish Kashyap, the Instagram account Desi Boys (desi_boysncr), and influencers Harshit Rathi and Ankleash Invatee.

The legal developments come amid an ongoing public debate over the government's transition towards E20 petrol, which contains 20% ethanol blended with 80% petrol.

The Centre has maintained that E20 fuel is safe for vehicles compatible with the blend and has positioned ethanol blending as an important component of India's efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and advance its energy-transition goals.

However, the rollout has also attracted criticism from sections of the motoring community, automobile enthusiasts and social media creators. Critics have raised concerns about possible reductions in fuel efficiency and the compatibility of higher ethanol blends with older vehicles that were not engineered to operate on E20 fuel.

Gadkari's proposed civil action now places the alleged online content and deepfake material under judicial scrutiny, while the wider debate over the country's ethanol-blending policy continues.