RECKITT BENCKISER (INDIA) LIMITED vs UNION OF INDIA

Judgment text excerpt

$~2 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Date of decision: 7th February, 2026 Uploaded on: 10th February, 2026 + W.P.(C) 1989/2015 RECKITT BENCKISER (INDIA) LIMITED .....Petitioner Through: Mr. R. Jawahar Lal and Mr. Sayyam Maheshwari, Advs. versus UNION OF INDIA .....Respondent Through: Mr. Bhagwan Swarup Shukla, CGSC with Mr. Sarvan Kumar, Ms. Priya Dwivedi and Mr. Mukesh Kumar Pandey, Advs. CORAM: JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH JUSTICE MADHU JAIN Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral) 1. This hearing has been done through hybrid mode. 2. The present petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India by the Petitioner-Reckitt Benckiser (India) Limited which is a company that inter alia, manufactures and markets various FMCG and health products including Dettol, Harpic and other health care and personal hygiene products such as soap, hand wash, sanitizer, etc. 3. The challenge in this petition inter alia, is to the amendment in Rule 6 (8) of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, which was introduced by notification dated 16th June, 2014. In terms of the said notification, the Director, Legal Metrology mandated as under:- “(8) Every package containing soap, shampoos, tooth pastes and other cosmetics and toiletries shall Signature Not Verified Signed By:RENUKA W.P.(C) 1989/2015 Page 1 of 6 NEGI Signing Date:10.02.2026 12:55:05 bear at the top of its principal display panel a red or as the case may be, brown dot for products of non- vegetarian origin and a green dot products of vegetarian origin.” 4. Various grounds were raised in the writ petition on 2nd March, 2015, when Notice was issued in this writ petition and an interim order was passed in the following terms: “W.P.(C) No.1989/2015 Having regard to the nature of the controversy involved