Mumbai court discharges Shilpa Shetty in Richard Gere kissing case
India Today
A Mumbai court discharged Shilpa Shetty in a case of obscenity that was filed against her after Hollywood star and AIDS awareness campaigner Richard Gere publicly kissed her. The incident happened during a promotional event in Rajasthan in 2007.
A Mumbai Court on Monday, January 24, discharged Shilpa Shetty, who had been accused of obscenity and indecency in an incident where co-accused Richard Gere had publicly kissed her. The incident happened during a promotional event in Rajasthan in 2007. A total of three cases were filed in 2007 in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh against Shilpa for publicly kissing the Hollywood star and AIDS awareness campaigner.
After perusing the complaint that gave rise to the case, the Metropolitan Magistrate Ketaki Chavan deduced that the actress was a victim of the element of the alleged act of accused number one, Richard Gere.
Once the police report and documents were presented, the Magistrate was satisfied that the charges against Shilpa Shetty were groundless. Hence, the actress was discharged from the offences.
“Not a single element of any of the alleged offence is being satisfied in the complaint. Moreover, none of the papers annexed with the final report discloses act of present accused so as to bring her within the purview of Section 34 of IPC (common intention).” the order observed.
After the incident, a complaint was filed before a Judicial Magistrate First Class in Mundawar, Rajasthan seeking registration of an FIR against Shilpa Shetty and Richard Gere, which was allowed.
The FIR booked the accused under Sections 292, 293, 294 (obscenity) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Information Technology and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
Shilpa Shetty’s plea to transfer the case to Mumbai was allowed by the Supreme Court in 2017, after which the complaint and the transfer case was being heard by the Metropolitan Magistrate at Ballard Pier, Mumbai.
