Richard Gere kissing case: Court upholds Shilpa Shetty’s discharge from the obscenity case
The incident had taken place way back on April 15, 2007, when Gere and Shetty came together at an event in Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar in Delhi. During the event, Gere kissed Shetty on her cheeks in order - to spread a message that kissing was safe and would not lead to the transmission of HIV
MUMBAI: A sessions court in the city on Monday dismissed a petition filed against a magistrate’s order discharging Shilpa Shetty in the obscenity case over Hollywood star Richard Gere kissing her at a public event organised to create awareness about AIDS in Delhi in 2007.
Additional sessions judge SC Jadhav on Monday dismissed a plea filed by the MRA Marg police challenging the magisterial court order.
The incident had taken place way back on April 15, 2007, when Gere and Shetty came together at an event in Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar in Delhi. During the event, Gere kissed Shetty on her cheeks in order - to spread a message that kissing was safe and would not lead to the transmission of HIV.
One Bhoopsingh Ramjilal had filed a complaint before the judicial magistrate court in Mundawar in Rajasthan, seeking registration of offence against both the actors for kissing in public.
Later, a case was registered under sections 292 (sale etc. of obscene material), 293 (sale etc. of obscene objects to a young person), 294 (doing an obscene act in a public place to the annoyance of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and sections 4 (to produce, sell etc. material containing indecent representation of women) and 6 (the penalty for breach of section 4) of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.
Acting on a plea filed by the actress, in November 2011, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Mumbai to the metropolitan magistrate court at Ballard Estate. In February 2017, the actress applied for discharge, contending that the allegation against her was that she did not protest when the American actor kissed her and by no stretch of the imagination this would make her a co-conspirator in the alleged crimes.
{{/usCountry}}Acting on a plea filed by the actress, in November 2011, the Supreme Court transferred the case to Mumbai to the metropolitan magistrate court at Ballard Estate. In February 2017, the actress applied for discharge, contending that the allegation against her was that she did not protest when the American actor kissed her and by no stretch of the imagination this would make her a co-conspirator in the alleged crimes.
{{/usCountry}}On January 18, 2022, metropolitan magistrate Ketaki Chavan discharged her from the case, observing that the charges levelled against her were groundless. “On reading the complaint, it seems that the present accused i.e. Shilpa Shetty is the victim of alleged acts of accused No. 1 (Gere),” the court had said.
The MRA Marg police had carried the matter in appeal before the sessions court, saying that the actress allowed herself to be kissed in full public view and therefore within the purview of an obscene act. The police also contended that the discharge order was passed without following the principles of natural justice.
The actress had responded to the appeal, saying she was a victim of malicious proceedings and harassment and that she would file a separate proceeding against the complainant for initiating a false case.
