Shetty appeals to supreme court over Gere arrest warrant
Bollywood actress and Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty today appealed to the Indian Supreme Court to quash an arrest warrant issued against her and Hollywood star Richard Gere for violating obscenity laws.
The court was scheduled to hear the appeal tomorrow, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
A judge in the city of Jaipur issued the warrant last month for both Gere and Shetty after a kiss at a public Aids awareness event in New Delhi.
The public display of affection drew an outcry among Hindu hard-liners, with rallies against the actors held in several cities. But the judge’s arrest order also drew harsh criticism in India, with some lawyers saying it had no legal merit and made the country look ridiculous.
Gere, 57, apologised for any offence he may have caused in India, where public displays of affection are largely taboo. But he also said the whole controversy was manufactured by a small hard-line political party.
Gere, who left shortly after the kiss, is a frequent visitor to India, promoting health issues and the cause of Tibetan exiles.
