SC suspends arrest warrant against Gere

NEW DELHI: Richard Gere, dragged into controversy over his public kissing scene with actress Shilpa Shetty, could not have expected more from the Supreme Court, which on Friday termed the complaint against him as frivolous, stayed the arrest warrant and scrapped all restrictions on his entry into and exit from India. In a rare display of belligerence, the top court came out all guns blazing against the increasing tendency among chronic litigants to file frivolous complaints against celebrities to garner cheap publicity. It did not spare the lower judiciary either for entertaining such complaints and issuing arrest warrants at the first instance, as was the case against Shetty and Gere. "Filing of such frivolous complaints and issuance of arrest warrants on such complaints bring a bad name to the Indian judiciary," said a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran while granting all relief sought by Gere, who wanted to visit India for a scheduled meeting with the Dalai Lama on March 21. When the complainant, on whose plea a Jaipur court had issued arrest warrants against Shetty and Gere, tried to discuss the merits of the case, the Bench cut short his arguments and said: "We are of the view that no offence is made out and hence, we will stay the arrest warrant." The top court got more angry when Gere's counsel Indira Jaising, supported solidly by Shetty's counsel Anand Grover, pointed out that the arrest warrants were issued even though the complainant had mentioned Gere's address merely as 'c/o American Embassy'. After castigating the complainant, Rikhab Raj Bhandari, the Bench turned its attention to the trial court after learning that it had issued the arrest warrants at the first instance without first issuing summons and bailable warrants. "No judge could have issued arrest warrants on such a complaint, which does not even provide the proper address of the persons to be proceeded against," it said.
The Times of India; 15 Mar 2008, 0021 hrs IST , TNN