Gadkari files Rs 11-cr civil lawsuit over E20 deepfakes;…

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has initiated legal action against major tech platforms following the circulation of AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated content that falsely link him and his family to the Centre's E20 ethanol-blending programme. The lawsuit, filed in the Bombay High Court, seeks to remove defamatory material and recover 11 crore rupees in damages for the unauthorized use of his digital identity.

What happened

The legal petition, filed by advocate Sandeep Ladda, names Meta, X, Google/YouTube, and government telecommunications departments as defendants, alongside unidentified users. Gadkari’s suit challenges 26 specific online links that include face-swap videos, AI-generated images, fabricated quotes, and memes. These materials purportedly use the minister's name, face, voice, and mannerisms without his consent to suggest he and his family have profited from the E20 policy, which mandates a 20 percent ethanol blend in petrol.

Gadkari maintains that these posts constitute defamatory deepfakes and an infringement of his personality and publicity rights. The minister argues that the allegations of corruption and conflict of interest are baseless, noting that he has never held administrative or policy-making authority over the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP). According to the petition, the EBP is managed entirely by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Gadkari asserts he has no executive connection to the initiative. While acknowledging that he does not wish to suppress legitimate political discourse, Gadkari contends that the disseminated content transcends fair criticism and relies on digital fabrication to damage his reputation. The suit specifically addresses claims that his son, Nikhil Gadkari, benefited financially from the policy due to his association with a company that manufactures ethanol. The matter is set to be heard by Justice Arif Doctor, as the minister seeks permanent and mandatory injunctions to force platforms to take down the disputed content.