The metropolitan magistrate of the 16th court at Ballard Pier (Bombay) has discharged Shilpa Shetty from a criminal case filed against her in 2007 in Alwar (Rajasthan) for alleged offence of obscenity following an event in which she was allegedly hugged and kissed by Hollywood actor Richard Gere in public. A complaint had been filed before the court of judicial magistrate first class, Mundawar (Rajasthan) for offences of obscenity and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (transmission of obscene material) and sections 4 and 6 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. The accusation against Shetty was that the complainant read an article and saw photographs of their public display of affection. This also led to a nationwide protest where Shilpa and Gere’s effigies were burnt on the streets.
The case was transferred to Bombay in 2017 on the orders of the Supreme Court.
Shilpa had attended an AIDS awareness programme in 2007 in Alwar. Magistrate Ketaki Chavan in the order made ready on January 24 said, “After giving the prosecution and accused an opportunity of being heard, I am satisfied that charge against present accused i.e. Shilpa Shetty is groundless.”