India orders arrest for Richard Gere

[christine2448]

India court orders Gere's arrest

• Gere's kisses at an AIDS event caused mass outrage
• The actor can face up to three months in prison
• Shetty said it was overboard, but not obscene


An Indian court ordered the arrest of Hollywood star Richard Gere on Thursday for kissing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS awareness 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.

CNN.com

 

[Taximom]

You would think he'd know the laws there since he's been there before. :waitasec:

Maybe his friend, the Dalai Lama, will help him wiggle out of this one.

 

[christine2448]

I see Richard Gere isn't interesting to anyone, LOL.

Don't have a clue, thought it was a wierd story.

 

[Peter Hamilton]

It certainly was out of place,this AIDS awareness thing is hugely serious over there--India's AIDS population is exploding,from like nothing ten years ago to millions today--India has a tremendous probem with prostitutes also,especially those that service truckers--and here is Gere laughing it up like he's at a party

 

[Nova]

It certainly was out of place,this AIDS awareness thing is hugely serious over there--India's AIDS population is exploding,from like nothing ten years ago to millions today--India has a tremendous probem with prostitutes also,especially those that service truckers--and here is Gere laughing it up like he's at a party

Um, he WAS at a party. Apparently, parties aren't much fun in India.

 

[Nova]

I see Richard Gere isn't interesting to anyone, LOL.

Don't have a clue, thought it was a wierd story.

I am interested, Christine. But we're not supposed to discuss religion at WS and this is just one more example why the religious shouldn't be allowed to make laws. So I am holding my tongue.

 

[Floh]

I see Richard Gere isn't interesting to anyone, LOL.

Don't have a clue, thought it was a wierd story.

It is an interesting story. and i am ever interested in Richard Gere. i have no idea why he was all over the Bollywood star (?) in the first place, but it surely was a reckless thing to do under the legal circumstances of the country.

what's going on in India, i wonder? they have threatened to arrest Elizabeth Hurley (for immodest dress) and her husband also.

Could the actress (?) and her new husband Arun Nayar actually be facing jail time over their Indian wedding?

Access Hollywood has learned an Indian man - who knows neither bride nor groom - is reportedly trying to declare their actions illegal on the following grounds:

-Showing excess flesh in her Indian garb.
-Kissing during the ceremony, which is against Hindu culture.
-Drinking alcohol before the wedding.
-Elizabeth not removing her shoes during the ceremony.

Liz and Arun could face arrest charges of a "deliberate and malicious act" against the religion.

http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/ah4817.shtml

 

[TGIRecovered]

Wow, I did not know that we could not discuss religion here. I would have thought it would be okay to give one's viewpoint as it relates to the topic being discussed, such as an arrest based upon religious laws.

I'm off to re-read my rules!

Susan

 

[Nova]

Wow, I did not know that we could not discuss religion here. I would have thought it would be okay to give one's viewpoint as it relates to the topic being discussed, such as an arrest based upon religious laws.

I'm off to re-read my rules!

Susan

The mods do give us some leeway when the subject is unavoidable, but in general we are to avoid incendiary debates on religious topics.

Frankly, I've had it with religious puritanism of all stripes. And those who are quite rightfully worried about a religious government in Iran having the atomic bomb, should remember that a country (India) that wants to imprison an actor for a kiss has the bomb. And a country (the US) whose commander-in-chief subscribes to apocalyptic views has literally thousands of atomic bombs.

Stanford philosopher Sam Harris has argued at book-length that our technology is now so powerful, we simply can't afford to indulge people's magical thinking as we have traditionally done. I'm beginning to think he is right.

See why I shouldn't start?

 

[Floh]

The mods do give us some leeway when the subject is unavoidable, but in general we are to avoid incendiary debates on religious topics.

Frankly, I've had it with religious puritanism of all stripes. And those who are quite rightfully worried about a religious government in Iran having the atomic bomb, should remember that a country (India) that wants to imprison an actor for a kiss has the bomb. And a country (the US) whose commander-in-chief subscribes to apocalyptic views has literally thousands of atomic bombs.

Stanford philosopher Sam Harris has argued at book-length that our technology is now so powerful, we simply can't afford to indulge people's magical thinking as we have traditionally done. I'm beginning to think he is right.

See why I shouldn't start?

Yes. and i need to keep it zipped too! :silenced: :silenced: :silenced:

 

[southcitymom]

Yes. and i need to keep it zipped too! :silenced: :silenced: :silenced:

Don't we all, Floh? But it's....just.....so.....hard!:innocent:

 

[narlacat]

This was BIG news here- she looked like she was having fun to me lol- she's embarrased the poor girl-

 

[lilpony]

Wonder what Gere's wife thought of all this affection he was giving out. He's still married, right?

 

[txsvicki]

Those Hindu men need to get after all those married men in India who get on Yahoo while at their jobs and try to flirt and talk to women in chat.

 

[narlacat]

Those Hindu men need to get after all those married men in India who get on Yahoo while at their jobs and try to flirt and talk to women in chat.

The Indians are notorious in chat for sure Vicki- I haven't done the chat thing in rooms for years but I remember them- they call you dear- whilst asking you what you are wearing LOL- gross

They also all work for Telstra
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telstra
If I even hear hello in an Indian voice (lol) when I answer my phone I just hang up- they are really annoying and ring at the most inconvenient times ie dinner time- I also like to just put the phone down for 5 minutes- they can't ring out again until you hang up- that really annoys them

 

[Dena]

This was on the Bollywood website regarding rumors that Shetty will get jail time. The last paragraph I find interesting when thinking in terms of Richard Gere -

BollywoodWorld.com News Desk

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Mumbai, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has recently been in the news for one reason or another. Some lawyers have gone to the extent of filing cases against her after she received pecks on her cheek from Hollywood actor Richard Gere, terming them "obscene kisses", at an event in the capital to promote AIDS awareness.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Following this, a section of the media has been abuzz with reports claiming that a court in Rajasthan has restricted Shilpa's movements outside India.

A report quoting a top-ranking police official from Jaipur said: "If proven guilty, Gere and Shilpa could be sentenced to six years' imprisonment."

Refuting the charges, the actress's spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar clarified that Shilpa has not received any court order or summons.

He added that it was "amateur and frivolous" on the part of a government official to state that someone can get jailed for pecks on cheeks.

"If that is the case, more than half the country will have to be jailed," quipped Bhagwagar.
[/FONT]

 

[Taximom]

Warrant against Gere stayed:
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/15/stories/2008031557750100.htm
Justice Raveendran told counsel for the complainant: “It is publicity hunting. How can you give Mr. Gere’s address as American Embassy? By filing such cases and getting warrants you are bringing a bad name to the country.”
The Chief Justice asked counsel for the complainant: “Will you file applications wherever somebody embraces somebody? Is he [magistrate] the Immigration Officer to pass such an order?”


LOL I guess it's not just US attorneys that waste time and money.