FIR Against 4 Influencers Over Spreading Misinformation On E20 Fuel, Nitin Gadkari: Who Are They?

Last Updated:July 15, 2026, 10:32 IST

The case was registered by the Nagpur Cyber Police on the basis of a complaint filed by BJP Nagpur City Social Media Cell convener Shishir Arun Tripathi.

E20 Row: The Nagpur Cyber Police on Tuesday registered an FIR against four social media influencers, including YouTuber Manish Kashyap, for allegedly spreading misleading and defamatory content targeting Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari over the Centre’s E20 (20% ethanol-blended petrol) policy.

The case was registered by the Nagpur Cyber Police on the basis of a complaint filed by BJP Nagpur City Social Media Cell convener Shishir Arun Tripathi, who alleged that the influencers circulated false, misleading and objectionable content to defame Gadkari and mislead the public over ethanol-blended fuel.

Who Are These 4 Influencers?

The four content creators named in the FIR are Manish Kashyap, a Bihar-based YouTuber known for political and public affairs content; Desi BoysNCR (Desi Boys), an Instagram content page; influencers Harshit Rathi and Anklesh Inwati, who are also active on social media platforms.

According to the complaint, Manish Kashyap uploaded a YouTube video on July 3 claiming that his Toyota Innova Hycross developed problems due to E20 petrol. He also uploaded another video showing the vehicle’s fuel tank after it had been removed, claiming the fuel pump and filter assembly had been affected.

Kashyap further questioned whether inspection, cleaning and replacement costs would be covered under the vehicle’s extended warranty if the issue was categorised as fuel contamination.

The complaint further alleged that the other three influencers posted similar videos and Instagram content containing misleading claims, edited visuals and, in some cases, objectionable language against the Union minister. Police claim the content had the potential to create public confusion and disturb public order.

Based on the complaint, police have registered a case under Sections 352, 356 and 296 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. A technical investigation is underway to examine the source of the videos and whether there was any coordinated effort behind the campaign.

What’s The Row?

The FIR comes amid a wider political debate over the government’s E20 fuel rollout. Earlier on Tuesday, Gadkari strongly defended the rollout of E20 petrol (20% ethanol-blended fuel), challenging critics to identify “a single car" that had developed problems because of the fuel.

“There is no case of any car facing issues due to E20 petrol. Has there been any car in the country that faced issues due to the use of E20 petrol? Just name one," Gadkari said while addressing the Viksit Bharat Conclave.

The Union minister further alleged that “false narratives" were being spread about the rollout of higher ethanol-blended petrol and claimed these were “paid campaigns".

About the Author

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre...Read More

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