Dermatologist Dr Manjot Marwah and social media influencer Raj Shamani have told the Delhi High Court that they are willing to take down online content criticising Dettol antiseptic liquid, as part of a possible settlement in a defamation case filed by the brand’s parent company.
The matter came up for hearing before Justice Saurabh Banerjee on Tuesday. The lawyers representing the two defendants informed the Court that their clients are agreeable to removing or editing the controversial material. This includes both the podcast episode and the related Instagram reel where remarks were made about Dettol’s use on skin.
Reckitt Benckiser India, the makers of Dettol, had earlier filed a civil suit accusing Dr Marwah, Raj Shamani, and influencer Ritik Chaturvedi of publishing “false, misleading, disparaging and defamatory” comments about the brand’s iconic antiseptic liquid.
The Court has not yet disposed of the case but has taken on record a draft of the settlement terms. It has directed all parties to file a formal application under Order 23 Rule 3 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908, which deals with the lawful recording of compromises in civil matters.
According to the Court’s order, “The parties have handed over a draft settlement which reads as under… Same are taken on record. Counsel submit that they will be moving an application under Order 23 Rule 3 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908 (to record a compromise). Till then, aforesaid terms are taken on record. Defendants 1-2 (Marwah and Raj Shamani) are directed to act in terms of the conditions as handed over. Defendants 1-2 will edit the video in 24 hours. Social media platforms shall act in pursuance of the settlement.”
This means that the video podcast hosted by Raj Shamani—in which dermatologist Dr Marwah made the alleged comments—will be edited within 24 hours to remove the sections concerning Dettol. The Court has also instructed social media platforms to cooperate with the content changes as part of the settlement process.
Influencer Ritik Chaturvedi, who was also named in the lawsuit for reposting an Instagram reel that featured clips from the podcast, informed the Court that he has already removed the reel. The judge has directed him not to repost any similar content from the podcast again.
The case revolves around a podcast titled “Skin Mistakes You Didn’t Know! Tanning & Sunburn EXPOSED”, published on 1 April 2025, followed by an Instagram reel titled “Never Use Dettol on Your Skin”, posted on 5 April 2025. According to Reckitt’s legal team, Dr Marwah claimed during the podcast that Dettol is “essentially a floor cleaning liquid” and should not be applied to human skin. She also allegedly stated that it “burns wounds and delays healing.”
Dr Marwah, who holds an MD in Dermatology and has more than 783,000 followers on Instagram, reportedly supported her claims by referencing a report from the Philippines Food and Drug Administration in an Instagram Story. However, Reckitt argued that the report has no relevance to Dettol’s use in India, since the product is not sold by the company’s affiliate in the Philippines.
Senior Advocate Chander M Lall, representing Reckitt, strongly rebutted the statements made in the podcast. He asserted that Dettol is a licensed product, approved for use on human skin, and has been marketed as an antiseptic in India since 1936. According to him, it qualifies as a drug under Section 3(b)(i) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
“To call Dettol a disinfectant only fit for mopping floors is blatantly false and slanderous,” Lall argued. He also referenced the Indian Pharmacopoeia’s definition of an antiseptic, describing it as “an agent that inhibits or destroys microorganisms on living tissue including skin, oral cavities, and open wounds.”
Lall further alleged that the podcast and social media posts were created to increase viewership and promote Dr Marwah’s dermatology practice. He pointed out that the episode had garnered over 236,000 views and 5,700 likes, while the Instagram reel had received more than 2.4 million views.
He also cautioned the Court about the speed at which online content spreads, arguing, “The reel damages me irreparably even if it’s up for an hour… She is very, very popular on Instagram. By the time it comes up for hearing, it will be posted and shared. Even the court order can’t stop it.”
According to Lall, Dr Marwah also stated that hospitals use Betadine instead of Dettol, which he said could be interpreted as promoting a rival product.
On Tuesday, Senior Advocate Satvik Varma, appearing for Shamani, said, “I have come with an olive branch and a white flag. We are ready to edit the portions which are disparaging according to Dettol.”
Advocate Ramandeep Singh, representing Dr Marwah, confirmed to the Court that she had already deleted the Instagram reel.
With both parties indicating a willingness to settle, the Court has allowed them to finalise the terms of compromise and submit the required paperwork.
Reckitt Benckiser was represented by Senior Advocate Chander M Lall, briefed by Advocates Nancy Roy, Prakriti Varshney, Prashant and Nida Khanam from Lall and Sethi, as well as Jawahar Lal and Meghna Kumar from J Law.
Raj Shamani was represented by Senior Advocate Satvik Varma, briefed by Advocates Nakul Gandhi, Mujeeb Rehman and Tanish Gupta.
Read More: Content creator Raj Shamani’s journey: Prioritizing substance over virality