Mindblowing
Shilpa Shetty is cleared of obscenity charges 15 years after Richard Gere kissed her on the cheek
Radical Hindu groups labeled the situation as an insult to Indian values
Fifteen years Bollywood’s Shilpa Shetty had to wait to be cleared from obscenity charges after actor Richard Gere kissed her on the cheek in 2007 at an Aids awareness event in India.
A court in the country ruled the mindblowing charges as “groundless” because she was the victim, despite radical Hindu groups labeling the situation as an insult to Indian values.
The act sparked controversy nationwide, and Gere apologized by saying he wanted to show that kissing and hugging were safe and not linked to the transmission of HIV. The court also dismissed the arrest warrant against the actor; however, Shetty’s case took longer.
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Shetty’s legal team said the star received unfair treatment, especially not being the “perpetrator.” Shetty’s lawyer said the case was based on the fact that “she did not protest when she was kissed by the co-accused,” as reported by The Guardian. “This by no stretch of imagination makes her a conspirator or perpetrator of any crime,” the lawyer added.
