Nagpur police booked four influencers for defaming Nitin Gadkari
Nagpur Cyber Police officials recently registered an FIR against four prominent social media influencers, including popular Bihar-based YouTuber Manish Kashyap, for allegedly defaming Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Law enforcement agencies accuse these content creators of spreading misleading information regarding E20 ethanol fuel and unjustly dragging the minister's name into baseless digital controversies without any factual backing.
Misleading Claims over Green Fuel
Desi BoysNCR, Harshit Rathi, and Anklesh Invate join Kashyap on the list of accused individuals named in the police report. Authorities state that these influencers published highly controversial videos across popular platforms like YouTube and Instagram. Their content falsely suggested that widespread fraud and illegal financial transactions were occurring within the national ethanol policy framework.
India's active transition toward E20 fuel, which blends 20 percent ethanol with standard petrol, forms a critical part of the national green energy strategy that states across the country are currently implementing to reduce costly crude oil imports. Investigators allege the accused deliberately misrepresented Gadkari's role in this vital environmental initiative solely to generate viral engagement.
Formal Police Complaint Filed
Shishir Tripathi, who heads the Bharatiya Janata Party social media cell in Nagpur, submitted the formal complaint to local authorities. His official statement claims the content creators orchestrated a highly calculated smear campaign against the senior leader. They allegedly used deceptive interviews with ordinary citizens to make their fabricated narratives appear completely authentic to casual viewers.
Cyber Cell detectives quickly confirmed that their initial investigation found all claims within the viral videos to be entirely false. Officials clarified that Gadkari has absolutely zero connection to any of the alleged fraudulent activities depicted in the online posts. Police teams are currently conducting a thorough technical analysis to trace the digital origin of these videos and uncover any potential larger conspiracy behind this coordinated digital attack.