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Tuesday, Feb 12, 2008
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Court notice on Gere’s plea

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on an application filed by Richard Gere, actor and active anti-HIV/AIDS campaigner, seeking the stay of the arrest warrant issued by two courts in Rajasthan in connection with the “April 15, 2007 kissing incident” involving Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty.

A three Judge Bench, comprising Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Justices R.V. Raveendran and L.S. Panta, issued notice to the complainant on whose petition the trial courts issued the arrest warrant.

The Bench also sought a response from the Rajasthan government after senior counsel Indira Jaising, appearing for Mr. Gere, said the actor, who was scheduled to come to India in March, was ready to submit to the court’s jurisdiction. She said the warrant was issued after the actor left the country.

On May 15, 2007, acting on a petition from Ms. Shetty seeking transfer of all the cases to Mumbai, the apex court stayed all further proceedings against her in these cases filed in relation to the “kissing incident.”

In the present application, Mr. Gere said the warrants were issued against him though he was not served summons in the two cases.

He said: “This is a fit case that the arrest warrant issued against him is cancelled; he be allowed to enter and leave India without any impediment and to grant him exemption from personal appearance.” He also sought a direction to stay the execution of the warrant till the disposal of the matter.

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