Famous Shilpa Shetty Richard Gere Hug N Kiss

Hollywood star Richard Gere wants to visit India in March, but is wary of being nabbed by either the Rajasthan or UP police, who are still armed with arrest warrants issued by courts for his controversial kiss with actress Shilpa Shetty (right) at an AIDS awareness function last year.
On Monday, he requested the Supreme Court to stay the execution of arrest warrants and a guarantee from the state governments that his exit from India, after the completion of his engagements, would be hassle-free.

Shetty supported Gere’s plea through her counsel Anand Grover, but a bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendran and L S Panta only issued notices to respondents on his plea. The bench pointed out that the proceedings before the trial courts had already been stayed by the SC.

Gere’s counsel Indira Jaising said that though the proceedings were stayed, the actor fears the police could still attempt to execute the arrest warrants that could cause immense harassment to him.

Shetty was the first to approach the SC, immediately after the courts in Rajasthan and UP took cognisance of complaints accusing her and Gere of indulging in obscene acts in public that hurt the sentiments of people apart from violating several provisions of Indian Penal Code.
After the SC stayed the proceedings before the trial courts, Gere followed suit and got similar protection. However, with the impending visit, it crossed his mind that the police could be the stumbling block for his safe departure from the country.

The bench sought responses from complainants as well as the state governments within two weeks to Gere’s plea and posted the matter for hearing thereafter.