The Bombay High Court has granted interim relief to Union Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari by directing major social media platforms to remove allegedly defamatory and AI-generated deepfake content that falsely linked him and his family to the Central government's E20 ethanol-blending programme.
Justice Arif S. Doctor observed that the material placed before the Court was "vile and abusive" and did not deserve a place on public platforms.
The interim order came in a civil suit filed by Gadkari against Meta Platforms, X, Google/YouTube, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Department of Telecommunications and unidentified online users.
Background of the Case
Gadkari approached the High Court alleging that several social media posts, videos, reels and AI-generated images falsely portrayed him as the person responsible for introducing or implementing the E20 ethanol-blending programme. According to the suit, the content also alleged that he and members of his family had benefited financially from the policy.
The petition stated that the Ethanol Blending Programme is administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and that Gadkari, as Minister for Road Transport and Highways, has no role in framing or implementing the programme. He maintained that while fair criticism of government policy is acceptable, fabricated content, abusive language and manipulated visuals crossed the limits of lawful public debate.
Court's Observations
After examining the material placed on record, Justice Arif S. Doctor found a strong prima facie case for interim protection.
The Court observed,
"The material which the plaintiff seeks to pull down... is absolutely vile and abusive. Such material should have no place on a public platform, which is accessible to everyone, including young persons."
Meta and Google informed the Court that they were prepared to remove the content identified in the suit. Accepting their statements, the Court directed the immediate takedown of the flagged material.
The bench also clarified that the order does not prohibit genuine public criticism. During the hearing, the Court acknowledged that there is a distinction between fair criticism and defamatory or manipulated content.
The Court further encouraged digital intermediaries to evolve an effective mechanism for removing clearly abusive material without forcing affected individuals to seek court intervention each time.
Court's Decision
Granting interim relief, the Bombay High Court directed Meta, Google and other intermediaries to remove the allegedly defamatory and deepfake content identified by Gadkari. It also ordered that if similar content comes to his notice in the future, he may notify the concerned platforms, which must take appropriate action.
Where any dispute arises over whether content is protected criticism or defamatory material, the parties may approach the Court for further directions.
The matter has been listed for further hearing after four weeks.
Case Details
Case Title: Nitin Jairam Gadkari v. Meta Platforms Inc. & Ors.
Case Number: Interim Application (L) No. 25165 of 2026
Judge: Justice Arif S. Doctor
Decision Date: August 5, 2026
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