Bombay HC allows Nitin Gadkari to sue Meta, X over alleged E20 deepfakes

The Bombay High Court on Monday granted Union Minister Nitin Gadkari permission to file a civil suit against Meta Platforms, X Corp and other entities over the circulation of alleged defamatory and AI-generated deepfake content about him online, ANI reported.

Justice Abhay Ahuja allowed Gadkari's plea seeking leave under Clause XII of the Letters Patent, a procedural requirement that enables the High Court to entertain a suit on its original civil side when part of the cause of action arises outside its territorial jurisdiction.

Also Read: Inspired by the CJP, 'E20 Janta Party' launches campaign against ethanol-blended fuel, seeks Gadkari's resignation


Appearing for Gadkari, advocate Sandeep S. Ladda argued that the disputed content was accessible to users in Mumbai, giving rise to a substantial part of the cause of action within the court's jurisdiction, while its wider online availability made leave under Clause XII necessary. The court accepted the submissions and granted permission to institute the suit.

The proposed suit will name Meta Platforms (Facebook and Instagram), X Corp, Google LLC, YouTube, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Department of Telecommunications, and unidentified "John Doe" entities alleged to have created or disseminated the content.

The plaint alleges that unknown persons circulated social media posts and AI-generated deepfake content falsely portraying Gadkari as personally responsible for the government's ethanol blending programme and E20 fuel policy, while claiming that he and his family had financially benefited from it.

The Centre has been promoting ethanol blending in petrol as part of its strategy to reduce crude oil imports, lower carbon emissions and support domestic ethanol production from sugarcane and grain-based feedstocks. Under the programme, E20 fuel contains 20% ethanol and 80% petrol.

While the rollout of E20 has raised concerns among some consumers over its compatibility with older vehicles, automakers and government-backed testing agencies have maintained that vehicles certified for E20 are designed to run safely on the fuel. They have also attributed isolated reports of vehicle issues to factors such as fuel contamination or maintenance-related problems, rather than the ethanol blend itself.

Also Read: E20 may lower mileage by 3-5% in some older vehicles, no widespread engine damage found: Govt

Gadkari has sought permanent and mandatory injunctions directing the removal of the alleged defamatory and deepfake content, including posts, videos and other material hosted on the platforms. The plaint also states that the suit is not intended to restrict fair criticism or bona fide public debate, but targets what it describes as false, malicious and defamatory content.

The case comes amid growing legal scrutiny of AI-generated deepfakes and impersonation on social media, with courts increasingly being asked to balance free speech, intermediary liability and personality rights. India has also tightened compliance obligations for online platforms to address the spread of misleading AI-generated content.