Bombay High Court allows Nitin Gadkari to sue Meta, Google for deepfakes, AI content over E20 fuel row

The Bombay High Court on Monday allowed Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to file a civil suit against the circulation of alleged defamatory and deepfake content about him on internet [Nitin Gadkari v. Meta Platforms Inc & Ors.]

Gadkari moved the petition under clause XII of the Letters Patent. This is a procedural requirement invoked when part of the cause of action arises outside the territorial jurisdiction of the High Court. Such leave (permission) is necessary to enable the Court to entertain a suit on its original civil side despite jurisdictional limitations.

The matter was listed before Justice Abhay Ahuja today when Advocate Sandeep S Ladda appeared for Gadkari and sought leave for filing the suit.

He argued that the defendants have made the alleged defamatory and deepfake material publicly available, including to users in Mumbai. Since this content is accessible and intended to be viewed within Bombay High Court’s territorial limits, Ladda argued that a substantial part of the cause of action arises in Mumbai. This gives the High Court jurisdiction to hear and decide the suit, it was contended.

At the same time, the material is also accessible outside Mumbai on the internet platforms, so part of the cause of action arises beyond the court’s territorial jurisdiction, making Clause XII leave necessary, Ladd argued.

After Ladda's brief submissions, Justice Ahuja granted leave to file the suit.

A detailed copy of the order is awaited.

The order will allow Gadkari to institute a substantive civil suit on the original side of the Bombay High Court. The proposed suit will be filed against Meta and several other entities, including social media platforms and John Doe entities that have allegedly hosted or enabled the dissemination of the disputed content.

Gadkari is presently serving as Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways. Through his suit, he has stated that the ethanol blending programme and E20 policy are administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

E20 petrol, a blend of 20 percent ethanol and 80 percent petrol, is a key part of the Indian government's strategy to reduce crude oil imports, lower emissions and promote the use of domestically produced biofuels.

However, the introduction of E20 has sparked concerns that older vehicles not specifically designed for E20 may experience compatibility issues, fuel system corrosion and reduced fuel efficiency.

Manufacturers have now increasingly introduced E20-compatible vehicles, but questions remain over the compatibility of vehicles sold prior to 2023.

As per Gadkari's plea, unknown persons have circulated posts and deepfake content falsely portraying him as personally responsible for the programme. The suit further claims these posts also allege that he and his family have financially benefited from it.

It states that these allegations are false, malicious and grossly defamatory without an iota of truth. Gadkari has alleged that the content is designed to create a misleading public perception that Gadkari has misused his public office for private gain, thereby causing irreparable harm to his reputation and personality rights.

In the proposed suit filed through Ladda, Gadkari has sought permanent and mandatory injunctions in relation to the “defamatory content” and “deep fake content” — social media posts, tweets, reels, videos and other material that allegedly use profane and abusive language, falsely attribute statements to him, and deploy AI‑manipulated audio‑visuals simulating his name, image, likeness, facial features and voice without consent.

He asserts that the material has caused “grave and irreparable” injury to his reputation, goodwill, dignity and public image, and infringes his personality and publicity rights.

Significantly, the plaint itself clarifies that the suit is not aimed at stifling fair public debate or bona fide comment. It states there is no bar on criticism and that fair, good‑faith criticism, based on true facts and made without malice, is not the subject of this action.

The plaintiff has pleaded that what is in issue is not legitimate criticism but reckless and defamatory allegations that according to him cross the line of lawful speech.

The defendants in the suit include Meta (Facebook and Instagram), X Corp, Google LLC and YouTube, as well as the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications.

Unknown creators and disseminators of the content have been impleaded as “Ashok Kumars/John Does”.