The Bombay High Court has granted Union Minister Nitin Gadkari permission to file a civil suit against Meta, Google, X and unidentified persons over the circulation of defamatory AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated online content linking him to the Centre's E20 ethanol-blended fuel policy. The minister contends that the material falsely associates him and his family with financial gains from the policy, damaging his reputation.
Court Grants Leave
Justice Abhay Ahuja permitted Gadkari to proceed with the civil action after hearing a petition filed under Clause XII of the Letters Patent, a procedural provision that enables the Bombay High Court to entertain a suit where part of the cause of action arises beyond its territorial jurisdiction. Gadkari argued that the defamatory content was accessible in Mumbai while also being available across online platforms elsewhere, making the court's permission necessary before filing the substantive suit.
The proposed lawsuit names Meta, Google, X and unidentified "John Doe" defendants alleged to have created, published or facilitated the circulation of the disputed content. Gadkari is expected to seek directions for the removal of the material and other appropriate reliefs.
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Deepfake Claims
According to Gadkari's plea, AI-generated videos and manipulated posts falsely portrayed him and his family as having profited from the E20 ethanol programme. The minister maintains that the allegations are baseless and that the content infringes his personality rights while harming his public reputation. His petition also argues that the E20 ethanol blending programme falls under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, despite his public advocacy of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
The case adds to a growing number of legal disputes involving AI-generated deepfakes and online misinformation in India, with courts increasingly being asked to balance freedom of expression against the protection of reputation and personality rights.
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