New Delhi: Nagpur Cyber Police have registered a case against four social media influencers, including popular YouTuber Manish Kashyap, for allegedly spreading misleading content about the government’s E20 ethanol fuel policy and attempting to tarnish the image of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The other individuals named in the FIR are Desi BoysNCR, Harshit Rathi and Anklesh Invate. Authorities allege that the influencers uploaded videos on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram claiming that large scale fraud and illegal transactions were taking place in connection with ethanol fuel. The videos allegedly suggested that laws were being violated under the cover of the government’s ethanol policy.
According to the complaint, the influencers linked these allegations to Gadkari without presenting any credible evidence. Investigators claim the videos deliberately misrepresented the minister’s role in the policy and portrayed him in a misleading manner.
The complaint was filed by Shishir Tripathi, head of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s social media cell in Nagpur. It alleges that the influencers used misleading interviews with ordinary citizens to make the videos appear authentic and to strengthen their claims. The complaint further states that the content was created with the intention of damaging Gadkari’s political and public image while attracting more views and followers on social media.
Police officials said their preliminary investigation found the claims made in the videos to be baseless. They also stated that Gadkari had no connection with the alleged frauds or incidents featured in the content and that his name was used without factual support.
Authorities have described the alleged misinformation as an attempt to sensationalise the issue and potentially disturb social harmony. The Cyber Police are now conducting a technical investigation to trace the origin of the videos and determine whether there was any larger conspiracy behind their creation and circulation.
