July 28, 2026: The Bombay high court on Monday allowed Union minister Nitin Gadkari to file a civil suit against the alleged circulation of defamatory and deepfake content about him on the internet in connection with the E20 ethanol-blended petrol programme.

Justice Abhay Ahuja granted Gadkari permission to institute the suit after his lawyer, Advocate Sandeep S Ladda, sought leave under Clause XII of the Letters Patent. The provision requires the court's permission when part of the cause of action arises outside its territorial jurisdiction, Bar and Bench reported.

Ladda submitted that the allegedly defamatory and deepfake material was publicly available on social media platforms, including to users in Mumbai. He argued that since the content could be viewed within the jurisdiction of the Bombay high court, a substantial part of the cause of action arose in the city.

 At the same time, the content was accessible across the country and outside Mumbai through internet platforms. Ladda therefore sought permission under Clause XII to enable Gadkari to bring the proposed suit before the High Court's original civil jurisdiction.

(Source: TOI)