Bombay High Court Orders Meta and Google To Take Down Deepfakes Targeting Nitin Gadkari Over E20 Ethanol Row
The Bombay High Court granted interim relief to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, ordering Meta, X, and Google to remove vile deepfakes and defamatory content falsely linking him and his family to the E20 ethanol-blending program. During the hearing, representatives for Meta and Google informed the court that they agreed to remove the specific material outlined in the plaintiff's submissions.
The Bombay High Court has granted interim relief to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, directing major social media intermediaries to remove AI-generated deepfakes and defamatory content falsely linking him and his family to the government's E20 ethanol-blending programme. Justice Arif Doctor described the flagged digital material as "absolutely vile and abusive", stating that such content has no place on public platforms accessible to all sections of society, including young audiences. The court was hearing a civil suit filed by Gadkari against platforms including Meta, X, and Google/YouTube, alongside unknown users.
Bombay High Court Observations and Directions
During the hearing, representatives for Meta and Google informed the court that they agreed to remove the specific material outlined in the plaintiff's submissions. The court accepted their statements and issued formal directions for the immediate removal of the offensive content. E20 Petrol Reduces Mileage by up to 6%, No Evidence of Engine Failures, Says Nitin Gadkari.
Addressing the broader issue of digital intermediaries policing their platforms, Justice Doctor urged tech companies to develop internal mechanisms to flag and delete blatantly abusive content without forcing individuals to approach the court each time. "One such transcript appears on instagram reel. There are other content. The material which plaintiff seeks to pull down, I can only say that the same is absolutely vile and abusive. Such material should have no place on public platform, which is accessible to everyone including young. The applicant has made out a case for ad interim relief. Meta and google have appeared and they have agreed to take down the material set out in exhibit c. Their statement is accepted," the Court said in its interim order.
The bench added that if further defamatory material or deepfake photographs come to light, the plaintiff may communicate them to the defendants for action. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing after four weeks. E20 Petrol May Harm BS-III Vehicle Rubber Parts and Gaskets, Nitin Gadkari Clarifies No Major Engine Issues.
Background of the Controversy
Gadkari's legal action follows a surge of online posts, reels, and videos falsely portraying him as personally responsible for the E20 fuel policy and alleging that his family has derived financial benefits from ethanol manufacturing. The petition clarifies that the ethanol-blending and pricing policy is administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas rather than Gadkari's portfolio. While emphasising that he is not seeking to restrict fair policy criticism or public debate, the minister's legal counsel argued that fabricated quotes, vulgar language, and deepfake visuals cross the line into malicious defamation.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 05, 2026 03:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
