Actress cleared of obscenity accusation 15 years after Hollywood star kissed her — Analysis
Shilpa Shetty’s obscenity case was dropped over a decade after Richard Gere kissed her
A Mumbai court has cleared actress Shilpa Shetty of obscenity charges, proclaiming her “a victim” of famous American actor Richard Gere’s actions. The decision marks the end of a 15-year-long saga that started when Gere kissed Shetty at an AIDS awareness event in India’s Rajasthan in 2007.
The photos of Gere first kissing Shetty’s hand and then kissing her on the cheek sparked indignation, prompting protesters to resort to burning effigies and portraits of both actors.
Following complaints, both Shetty and Gere were accused of several counts of obscenity and indecency.The case against Gere was quickly closed, with the Supreme Court judges saying that the “frivolous” complaints had been filed for “cheap publicity” and that the actor therefore was “You are welcome to visit any country.”
Shetty however found the issue to be an ongoing problem. Although her initial case had been filed in Rajasthan, the matter was eventually moved to Mumbai. In her plea for discharge, filed through her advocate Madhukar Dalvi and quoted by the local media, the actress, now 46, said that the fact “When Richard Gere, her coaccused kissed her, she didn’t object” could not make her a conspirator or perpetrator of the crime. Previously, Shetty complained that “So much” in her case “It has been exaggerated.”
A Metropolitan magistrate Ketki Chavan has seemingly agreed with Shetty’s arguments, admitting that the kiss was initiated by Gere, who is referred to in the legal papers as an “No. 1 accused.”
“I pursued [the]Record, particularly the complaint that gave rise to this case. The complaint is a very good read. Shilpa Shilpa Shetty was the victim [an]The alleged act by accused No. 1. Not [a]Each element of the alleged offenses must be satisfied. [the]Reported,” said the magistrate, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.Concluding the hearing, which took place on Monday, Chavan said that after considering the police report, complaints, and the prosecution documents, the court is “You will be satisfied [the]Present accused is being charged i.e. Shilpa Shrike is not guilty.”
While the actress was a star after appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, the actor did not respond to it, and instead posted an encouraging post to Instagram.
Decorating her photo with a quote “If you want to be happy … Be,” mistakenly attributed by her to Leo Tolstoy, Shetty called on her followers not to wait “You can give it to someone else, the weekend, or for a special occasion..”
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