Bombay High Court Orders Meta, X, Google to Remove Deepfakes Targeting Nitin Gadkari

The high court also directed the social media platforms to develop a framework for removing such content without requiring court intervention in every case.

A single-judge bench of Justice Arif Doctor observed that the content against Gadkari was “vile” and “abusive”. “The material which the plaintiff seeks to pull down, I can only say that the same is absolutely vile and abusive. Such material should have no place on a public platform, which is accessible to everyone, including young,” Justice Doctor said.

The court further stated that if any additional abusive material or deepfake videos are identified, the same shall be communicated to the defendants. “In the event there is a grey area, they will have liberty to move court,” the bench said. The matter has been posted for further hearing after four weeks.

Gadkari had approached the Bombay High Court against social media posts that alleged he and his family members financially benefited from the ethanol-blended petrol programme. In his petition filed through advocate Sandeep S Ladda, the Union minister stated that the posts falsely suggested that he and his family received undue financial benefits from the programme.

The petition claimed that the content insinuated allegations of corruption, nepotism, conflict of interest, abuse of official position, misuse of governmental authority and other acts of impropriety.

Gadkari argued that the content was ex facie false, fabricated, baseless, malicious, misleading, unsubstantiated and without any factual foundation. He stated that the posts contained abusive and derogatory language, scandalous remarks, false accusations and manipulated audio-visual material intended to falsely attribute statements and conduct to him.

The plea further stated that the defamatory content included profane, vulgar and abusive language directed at him and sought damages of ₹11 crore.

The court proceedings come amid increasing criticism surrounding the EBP programme, which was introduced to reduce crude oil imports. The programme has been accelerated since 2021, with ethanol produced from sugarcane, rice and maize being blended with petrol. India achieved its target of 20% ethanol blending (E20) five years ahead of its original 2030 deadline.

Motorists have raised concerns that E20 fuel is reducing mileage and causing engine corrosion in older and non-compliant vehicles. Gadkari and the government have rejected these claims, calling them social media misinformation.

Gadkari moved the high court after Bharatiya Janata Party’s Nagpur social media cell convener, Shishir Arun Tripathi, filed a police complaint last month regarding videos and posts circulating “baseless and objectionable claims” about the Union minister and E20 fuel.

The complaint stated that such content could “mislead the public, confuse citizens and disturb peace”. The Bombay High Court’s direction now requires major social media platforms to address the removal of defamatory and deepfake content while creating a mechanism to handle similar cases without repeated court intervention.