Gere magistrate given the kiss-off
An Indian judge who issued an arrest warrant against Richard Gere for publicly kissing a Bollywood actress has been transferred from his job, the Times of India reported Thursday.
Judge Dinesh Gupta, a magistrate in the northwestern city of Jaipur, had issued arrest orders last week for both Gere and actress Shilpa Shetty after the kissing incident at a public AIDS awareness event in New Delhi the week before.
The public display of affection drew an outcry among Hindu hard-liners, with rallies against the actors held in several cities. But the judge’s arrest order also drew harsh criticism in India, with senior lawyers saying it had no legal merit and made the country look ridiculous.
The Times of India reported that Gupta was transferred from his post in Jaipur to the small town of Kishangarh several hours away. It was not immediately clear what effect the transfer would have on the arrest warrant.
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