Arrest Warrant against Richard Gere stayed

The Indian supreme court stayed an arrest warrant issued by a state court against American actor Richard Gere, ruling that the actor was free to visit the country and would not be required to appear before the state court. During his last visit to India in 2007, Gere embraced and kissed Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty several times on the cheek in jest at an AIDS awareness camp for truckers. Most of the truckers in the audience did not understand English and Gere played to the gallery in an attempt to get his message across. However, his actions raised hackles in the conservative country and prompted Jaipur-based advocate Poonam Chandra Bhandari to file a complaint against the anti-AIDS campaigner and friend of the Dalai Lama for committing an 'obscene act'. A state court in Jaipur issued an arrest warrant against Gere but not before the actor had returned to the US.

Gere, who frequently visits India to meet with the Dalai Lama, agreed to subject himself to the jurisdiction of the Indian courts and sought relief from the arrest warrant from the highest court of the land. An attorney for the actor sought an urgent hearing from the supreme court because the arrest warrant could come in the way of a scheduled meeting between Gere and the Dalai Lama.