Nitin Gadkari moves Bombay High Court over alleged defamatory deepfake posts on E20 programme
New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has approached the Bombay High Court over allegedly defamatory social media posts and deepfake videos that falsely associate him and his family with financial benefits from the government’s E20 Ethanol Programme.
Gadkari has sought permission to initiate a civil suit against Meta and other social media platforms where the disputed content was allegedly published and circulated. He argued that the posts have caused reputational harm by making false claims about his family’s involvement in the ethanol blending programme.
The minister filed a Leave Petition under Clause 12 of the Letters Patent, a legal provision that allows the Bombay High Court to hear a civil case even when part of the cause of action arises outside its territorial jurisdiction, provided the court grants permission.
The High Court accepted the request and granted Gadkari permission to proceed with the civil suit.
According to the petition, the disputed posts and deepfake videos falsely allege that Gadkari and his family have financially benefited from the E20 ethanol programme. The petition contends that responsibility for implementing the ethanol blending policy lies with the **Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas**, not with the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways or his family.
The matter was heard by the bench of Justice Abhay Ahuja. Appearing for Gadkari, advocate Sandeep S. Ladda argued that the allegedly defamatory content was accessible in Mumbai and targeted audiences within the city, thereby establishing sufficient territorial jurisdiction for the Bombay High Court to hear the matter.
The counsel further submitted that the content had been disseminated through the internet and social media platforms, making it viewable not only in Mumbai but across multiple locations.
Earlier, an FIR had been registered in Nagpur against four social media influencers for allegedly spreading false information linking Gadkari to the E20 ethanol blending programme. The latest civil action before the Bombay High Court is aimed at addressing the alleged defamatory content circulating online and seeking legal remedies against the platforms hosting it.