The Nagpur Cyber Police has filed a case against several social media account holders or content creators for allegedly spreading misleading information targeting Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari regarding petrol blended with ethanol.
The complaint targets a YouTube video uploaded on July 3, 2026 by content creator Manish Kasyap, as well as posts from other accounts including news outlets “Desi Boys”, “Harshit Rathi” and “Anklesh Inwati”. that I I mentioned.
Hours after the FIR, YouTuber Manish Kasyap said he would continue to stand by his statements and accused the government of trying to silence criticism.
The police action came after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal asked people facing problems with E20 petrol to make videos and share their concerns on social media. He also raised concerns about the impact of E20 fuel on older vehicles, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Creators mentioned in the FIR
The complaint was filed by BJP Nagpur City social media cell convenor Shishir Arun Tripathi. The complaint said that videos and publications circulated unfounded and rejected claims about Gadkari and E20 fuel that would mislead the public, confuse citizens, and disturb peace of mind.
In response to the digital evidence provided, the police filed the case under Sections 356, 352 and 296 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, 2023, along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, according to ANI.
Manish Kasyap replies
Reacting to the FIR in a video posted on YouTube, Kashyap denied that his video contained false information and defended his criticism of the government’s ethanol blending programme. “Respected Nitin Gadkari sir, I have heard that an FIR has been lodged against me… The allegation against me is that the video I made about pure petrol and ethanol mixed petrol was false,” he said.
“I’ve faced this problem, and people across the country are facing it too.”
Questioning the government’s ethanol policy, Kashyap said: “About 2,000 crore liters of ethanol are being produced, while the oil industry’s consumption is only about 1,100-1,200 crore litres. There is surplus production. To benefit a few people because of this surplus, is it right to push E20, E25 and E30 and make many others suffer?”
He also claimed that the vehicles were affected by petrol mixed with ethanol and questioned the actions of the police against those who raised concerns.
The FIR comes amid controversy over the government’s ethanol blending program and the use of E20 petrol, which contains 20% ethanol blended with petrol.
Kejriwal writes to PM on E20 fuel concerns
Kejriwal wrote to Prime Minister Modi, requesting the Center to reconsider the use of E20 gasoline in vehicles that are not manufactured to run on ethanol-blended fuel.
In his letter, Kejriwal claimed that use of E20 fuel in older vehicles has resulted in lower mileage, faster engine wear and higher expenses for vehicle owners whose cars and two-wheelers were manufactured before 2023.
He demanded that gasoline pumps provide consumers with a choice between pure gasoline and E20 blended fuel. He also requested a reduction in the price of blended fuel to offset its lower energy content and the subsequent reduction in mileage.
“I have appealed to Prime Minister Modi to reduce the price of E20 fuel; since E20 fuel produces less mileage, its price should also be lower… I have also sought an appointment to meet him,” Kejriwal said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The AAP leader also asked people facing difficulties due to E20 petrol to highlight their concerns on digital platforms. He added: “I want to tell everyone who is upset about these issues to take videos and post them on social media, because this government will not listen to us so easily.”
E20 class by vlogger Sourav Joshi
Last week, vlogger Sourav Joshi uploaded a video on YouTube claiming that the mileage of his Mercedes-Benz SUV dropped from around 17 km per liter to 5 km per liter in a matter of two days.
He blamed the sharp decline on E20 gasoline, saying the car’s estimated driving range dropped from about 800km to 480km when the tank was full, and said the fuel could damage the engine. The video went viral.
Soon after, Mercedes-Benz India issued a warning to customers, without mentioning Joshi’s name. “At Mercedes-Benz, customer safety, vehicle reliability and performance are of paramount importance to us. All Mercedes-Benz BS VI petrol vehicles are physically compliant with E20 fuel and are certified accordingly by the relevant authorities,” the German automaker said.
After the caution, Joshi took his SUV to a Mercedes service center, where technicians found that the low mileage was due to an engine problem and not E20 gasoline.
On Monday, he apologized for the misunderstanding, saying: “We visited the Mercedes service center and found that there was a problem with the engine, which led to a decrease in mileage. I apologize for the misunderstanding regarding E20 gasoline.”
