JAIPUR, India (Reuters) - An Indian court ordered the arrest of Hollywood star Richard Gere on Thursday for kissing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS campaign event this month saying it was an obscene act committed in public.

Gere's repeated kisses on Shetty's cheeks at an event to promote AIDS awareness in New Delhi sparked protests in some parts of India, mostly by Hindu vigilante groups, who saw it as an outrage against her modesty and an affront to Indian culture.

The order by a court in the northern city of Jaipur came in response to a complaint by a local lawyer.

The judge watched a video recording of Gere kissing Shetty and found him guilty of violating Indian laws against public obscenity, the lawyer, Poonam Chand Bhandari, said.

The court also summoned Shilpa Shetty to appear on May 5, Bhandari said, adding that Gere was also ordered to be arrested.

Gere can be sent to jail for up to three months or fined or both for the crime if he is arrested. He is not in India now but can be held if he visits the country again.

The Hollywood star is a devout Buddhist and a vocal supporter of the Tibetan cause and visits India frequently to meet the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in northern India.

He is also involved with charities looking after HIV-infected people and orphans, as well as AIDS prevention groups in the country.

Groups of men had burned and kicked straw effigies of Gere and Shetty in sporadic protests across the country after newspapers published the picture of the kiss on their front pages and TV channels aired visuals of the event.

Shetty, the winner of the "Celebrity Big Brother" reality TV show in Britain this year had said the kiss may have gone a "little overboard" but it was not obscene and the protests made India look regressive.

She said Gere was only re-enacting his moves from the film "Shall We Dance" to entertain the audience at the AIDS event and communicate in a Bollywood style as he did not speak Hindi.

Many commentators had subsequently expressed their unhappiness at what they said were fringe groups making a mountain of a harmless peck on the cheek.

Richard Gere Wanted in India For "Obscene" Kiss - CW Arkansas

Its too bad hes in america now just like Mike Tyson was wanted in Brazil on assult charges and cant get him back to stand trial.See in america its very hard to extradicted to another country because of the "State Dept" Red tape and proceedures and has to be done by the consitution. Unlike if youre wanted in america the CIA can go over that country and nab you and take you back to america.Just like what they did to a Terrorist that germany let go cause of the 747 hijacking that killed a US navy serviceman. Now hes in gitmo bay.Just like the bounty hunters who went into canada try to nab an american who skipped bail and now in canadian prison for kidnapping. And now another bounty hunter in mexico may face a prison sentence in a mexican prison.Once youre in that country and you commit the crime and they nab you nothing the CIA or the "State Dept"can do about it. But when you leave that country and youre wanted they cant touch you cause they have to go though the "State Dept" for Proceedures and go though red tape before they can take you back.

I wonder if those that are upset by this, are mostly upset because they are offended at seeing a white American man kiss one of their women?

The mixed reactions are evident that kissing in public is half-way taboo in Indian culture, and that taboo barrier had already been broken on Indian TV.

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One day, I will sneak across the border into Canada and be an illegal alien. It will be fun.

To a degree, yes. It's hypocrisy, plain and simple (which is something Indians are famous for, by the way, though of course others may disagree on this or think other nations are also famous for it.) - if an Indian man had kissed a white girl, there would be no outrage.

This is really something that NO-ONE should make an issue out of - there are far more important issues to worry about it. In addition, it's not like Bollywood doesn't show far more obscene stuff (and that is accepted).

Further, some people say it's to do with "respecting" Indian women - which is a bunch of BS too - Just look at the amount of baby girls killed every year in INdia, or the dowry deaths.


Absolutely right, especially in this day and age.

Oh, brother ...

Let me get this straight - you want Gere extradited to India to face charges for this foolishness ??

As if the Indian courts aren't slow and cumbersome enough and don't have enough backlog already!

And last, I also think your comment about not being able to extradite people from the US is nonsense - the US is still a sensible nation that way, and if some other nation with which the US has signed extradition treaties presents a valid reason, I'm very sure the US will extradite that person.

Of course, none of this changes the fact Gere did behave like an old fool ... though that still isn't a reason to start a hue and cry over it.

At least he is wanted somewhere....

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From toxic waste to the unpronounceables on your food labels, chemicals are all around and within us......

What I don t get is why are the people so shocked about this? In Bollywood movies isn t all about love, romance and drama? I thought they kissed on films. Unless I am mistaken (or I am seeing Bollywood style porn)

Shilpa Shetty just seems to cause drama no matter what she does. And shes such a quiet reserved person (at least in Big Brother)

You aren't mistaken at all. Like I said, it's hypocrisy ...

I agree, she does tend to attract a fair bit of controversy wherever she goes, and no matter what she does.