Richard Gere gets SC relief in Shilpa kissing case

BAD CASE: SC says petitioner in the Richard Gere case earned a bad name to the country.

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday virtually gave a clean chit to Hollywood actor Richard Gere in the Shilpa Shetty kissing controversy; saying "no case is made out" in this regard and Gere will not have to appear before the Jaipur court in connection with the case.

The actor had moved the apex court, seeking a stay on an arrest warrant against him in connection with the kissing row involving the Bollywood actress.

A Jaipur court had issued the warrants against Gere and Shetty on April 26 last year after Jaipur-based advocate Poonam Chandra Bhandari had filed a complaint accusing the couple of committing an 'obscene act'.

The Hollywood actor had allegedly taken Shetty in his embrace and kissed her on the cheek at an AIDS awareness programme. A similar case has been filed against the duo in a Ghaziabad court in Uttar Pradesh as well.

"According to us no case is made out in this issue," a Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan ruled as it stayed the arrest warrant issued by the Jaipur court against Gere in this case.

The court clarified that Gere will not have to appear before the court and will be free to visit and leave the country. The CJI also observed that "the petitioner is giving bad name to the country by filing of such frivolous petitions."

Appearing for the actor-cum-anti-AIDS campaigner, senior advocate Indira Jaisinh had urged the court to grant an urgent hearing in the matter as the existence of the arrest warrant may come in the way of Gere's scheduled meeting with the Dalai Lama.

The Jaipur court had restrained Gere from leaving the country, but the actor had already left the country when warrant was issued. Gere had, however, expressed his readiness to submit to the court's jurisdiction in India.

The apex court had earlier stayed a similar arrest warrant issued against Shetty and had also issued a notice on her plea to transfer the case to a Mumbai Court.

In his application, the Hollywood actor said he was being harassed and victimised by way of private criminal complaints filed against him in Jaipur and Mundawar in Rajasthan, which were nothing but bids to attract media attention.