Hearing on Gadkari's suit against deepfake posts deferred to August 5
The Bombay High Court has deferred the hearing of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s defamation suit against major tech platforms regarding deepfake content. The suit seeks damages for the circulation of AI-generated videos falsely linking him to the Ethanol Blending Programme.
Why it matters
This case represents a significant legal test for platform liability regarding AI-generated defamatory content in India.
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) said it would hear on August 5 Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s suit against Meta, X, Google, and unknown persons over allegedly defamatory deepfake content circulated on social media, falsely linking him to the Centre’s Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP).
The Bench of Justice Arif Doctor directed the Union Minister’s advocate, Sandeep S. Ladda, to serve copies of the civil suit to all respondents and adjourned the matter.
Mr. Gadkari has sought damages of ₹11 crore, alleging that the viral content has tarnished his reputation.
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