Shilpa-Gere 'kissing' case hearing on May 26

A local court hearing the "kissing" row involving Hollywood star Richard Gere and India's Shilpa Shetty Saturday fixed the next hearing for May 26.

"The link court hearing the case in place of the earlier additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM-4) court, which is lying vacant due to the transfer of judge Dinesh Gupta, has fixed the date for hearing on May 26," said Poonam Chand Bhandari, an advocate who filed the complainant against the stars.

"While pleading the case in the court today, I requested the court to issue bailable warrant against Shilpa Shetty," Bhandari told IANS.

The court was informed that the summons issued by the ACJM-4 has so far not returned back.

"In the case of Richard Gere, the police told the court that they have tried to find out his whereabouts in Delhi but so far have not been able to find him," Bhandari said.

The police also pleaded that since Gere is a foreign national the warrant could be issued by the high court through the external affairs ministry.

The court then said it could not pass an effective order as it was a link court and fixed the date for the next hearing on May 26.

It may be recalled that on April 26, the additional chief judicial magistrate Justice Dinesh Gupta has issued an arrest warrant against Gere for indulging in an "obscene act".

The court, after hearing Bhandari and watching the original video recording of the incident in which Gere is seen kissing Shilpa, prima facie found him guilty and ordered for his arrest, It also asked police to produce him before the court on or before May 5.

The court had issued summons against Shilpa asking her to be present before the court on May 5.

Bhandari had filed the complaint on April 17 accusing both the actors of committing "an obscene act" in public place.

Gere had repeatedly kissed Shilpa on stage at the April 15 function in Delhi, triggering protest marches in some Indian cities.

The arrest warrant drew harsh criticism in the country, with some lawyers saying it had no legal merit.