Nagpur Cyber Police Files FIR Against Social Media Creators for Defaming Nitin Gadkari

Legal Action Against Social Media Campaign

The Cyber Police in Nagpur has initiated legal proceedings against several social media content creators. They are accused of orchestrating a defamatory digital campaign targeting Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways. This action stems from controversial online posts related to the government's E20 ethanol-blended fuel policy.

Naveenchandra Reddy, the Joint Commissioner of Police in Nagpur, provided details about the ongoing criminal investigation. He stated that the FIR was filed based on complaints received, which included names of the individuals involved, the nature of the posts, and some obscene or derogatory comments made by certain individuals. The police are currently investigating the matter.

Complaint Filed by BJP's Social Media Cell

The complaint was lodged by Shishir Arun Tripathi, the convenor of the BJP Nagpur City Social Media Cell. According to the complaint, a YouTube video uploaded by content creator Manish Kashyap on July 3, 2026, contained allegedly false, defamatory, and misleading statements about Gadkari and the E20 fuel, aimed at misleading the public.

The complaint further alleges that similar misleading videos and posts were disseminated through other YouTube and Instagram accounts, such as 'Desi Boys', 'Harshit Rathi', and 'Anklesh Inwati', which made baseless and objectionable claims against the central minister. It also asserts that this content could disrupt public peace and create confusion among citizens.

FIR Registered Under Various Sections

Based on the complaint and the digital evidence submitted, the Nagpur Cyber Police registered FIR number 0092/2026 under sections 356, 352, and 296 of the Indian Penal Code (BNS), 2023, as well as section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal, the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former Chief Minister of Delhi, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the central government to reconsider the rollout of E20 petrol for vehicles not designed to run on ethanol-blended fuel.