This kiss corrupts, so summon Shilpa, arrest Gere, says Jaipur court

After protest rallies in which effigies were burnt, Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty have now been dragged to court over their kiss at a public function earlier this month.

After protest rallies in which effigies were burnt, Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty have now been dragged to court over their kiss at a public function earlier this month. Observing that the kiss “transgressed all limits of vulgarity”, a lower court in Jaipur today issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Gere and summoned Shetty to appear before it on May 5.

Jaipur city Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Dinesh Gupta issued the warrant on the basis of a criminal complaint filed by an advocate, Poonam Chand Bhandari, who accused the two actors of committing an “obscene act” in a public place.

“Their obscene act in public was annoying and hence under Section 294, it is an offence. As I felt annoyed after watching them on television, and knew there were several others who shared my view, I went ahead and filed a complaint against the two,” said Bhandari.

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After hearing Bhandari’s arguments and watching the original video recording of Gere kissing Shetty, the court took prima facie cognizance of the offence. The CJM said the kiss was “highly sexually erotic” and had the “tendency to corrupt the society”. The judge also said Shetty’s attitude was “cooperative” and that she was equally involved in an action that was impermissible under Indian laws, that “denigrated” Indian culture, tradition and social values. “Therefore, she is an accused under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code,” he observed.

The court directed the SP (Headquarters), Jaipur, to arrest Gere at the earliest. However, Gere has already left India. A Metropolitan Magistrate in Mumbai was requested to serve the summons on Shetty.

The public kiss occurred during an HIV awareness function in New Delhi on April 15. Following protests, Shetty had defended Gere and said the embrace was not obscene.

“If found guilty, the two can be imprisoned for three months, imposed a fine or both,” said Bhandari.

With PTI