Richard Gere Gets Arrest Warrant For Kissing In Public

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Court Orders Gere's Arrest Over 'Obscene' Kiss

An Indian court issued an arrest warrant for Richard Gere today, accusing the Hollywood actor of kissing Shilpa Shetty, the Bollywood actress, in a manner that "transgressed all limits of vulgarity".

Judge Dinesh Gupta issued warrants for the arrest of Gere and Shetty after a resident in the northwestern city of Jaipur filed a complaint charging that the public display of affection -which he called an "an obscene act" - offended local sensibilities, court officials said.

Judge Gupta earlier viewed television footage of the event, which he called "highly sexually erotic," saying the pair violated India's strict public obscenity laws.

Crowds in several Indian cities burned effigies of Gere, 57, after he embraced 31-year-old Shetty and planted several kisses on her cheek in front of thousands of onlookers at the Aids awareness function in the Indian capital New Delhi earlier this month.

At the time, Shetty appeared surprised by Gere's antics, telling the crowd, "that was a bit too much". But she later said: "We should all concentrate on this issue of HIV-Aids and not this fuss. Richard Gere has worked selflessly for India for any number of years."

Such cases against celebrities - often filed by publicity seekers - are common in India. They add to a backlog of legal cases that is often credited with nearly crippling the country's judicial system.

The Hollywood actor left India shortly after the kissing incident and it was not immediately clear how the warrant would affect him. Gere is a frequent visitor to India, where he promotes health issues and the cause of Tibetan exiles. The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has his headquarters in the north Indian town of Dharmsala.

Under Indian law a person convicted of public obscenity faces up to three months in prison, a fine or both.

Shetty, already well-known in India, became an international star after appearing on the British show "Celebrity Big Brother". Jade Goody, a fellow contestant on the reality television show, sparked international headlines by making allegedly racist comments to Shetty. Mobs took to the streets of India to denounce Goody, and Shetty went on to win the competition.

Gere's screen credits include "Chicago," "Pretty Woman" and "An Officer and a Gentleman."

Video of the 'Obscene' Kiss