YouTuber Manish Kashyap, 3 Influencers Booked Over 'False' E20 Petrol Videos Linked to Nitin Gadkari

The Nagpur Cyber Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against four prominent social media influencers, including well-known YouTuber Manish Kashyap, for allegedly spreading false information regarding the Central Government’s ethanol blending programme and falsely linking it to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Along with Kashyap, the other three accused have been identified as Desi Boyser, Harshit Rathi, and Anklesh Invate.

The action was initiated following a formal complaint lodged by Shishir Arun Tripathi, 38, head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Nagpur Social Media Cell. According to the complaint, the accused uploaded videos on platforms like YouTube and Instagram amidst the ongoing public debate regarding E20 petrol-fuel containing a 20% blend of ethanol. The complainant alleged that the content falsely associated the nation's ethanol policy with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in an attempt to defame him and mislead the public. Did Nitin Gadkari Announce To Introduce Flying Bus? The Truth Behind the Viral Remark.

Beyond targeting the Union Minister, the FIR states that the videos promoted fraudulent and unlawful practices involving ethanol use in vehicles, explained methods on how to execute fake transactions, and used manipulated public interviews to create general panic and confusion among vehicle owners.

The dispute gained significant traction online after YouTuber Manish Kashyap posted a video claiming that E20 petrol had damaged the engine of his new Toyota car. In the video, Kashyap criticized the government's ethanol policy and directly targeted Gadkari, who has been a vocal proponent of alternative biofuels.

However, a technical inspection conducted by Toyota subsequently revealed that the engine issues were not caused by the ethanol-blended fuel. Gadkari later addressed the issue publicly, clarifying that the claims made in the viral video were entirely baseless and technically incorrect. Does E20 Petrol Impact Your Vehicle's Mileage? Nitin Gadkari Replies.

FIR Against Manish Kashyap, 3 Others Over E20 Petrol Misinformation

Nagpur Cyber Police officials confirmed that a preliminary inquiry was conducted prior to filing the case. The investigation revealed prima facie evidence that the influencers had circulated misleading, illegal, and unlawful content online.

The police have clarified that Minister Nitin Gadkari has no direct connection to any of the alleged offenses, and his name was solely dragged into the online narratives by the accused. An investigation remains underway as police continue to analyze the digital footprints and video content posted by the four influencers.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 14, 2026 04:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).