 Shilpa Shetty was accused of not resisting the kiss |
Legal action against actors Shilpa Shetty and Richard Gere has been suspended by India's Supreme Court. An arrest warrant had been issued for Gere, while Shetty also faced obscenity charges after he embraced and kissed her during a public appearance.
The suspension stops police and courts taking action until the court decides on the case's proper jurisdiction.
Gere, who initially dismissed the row as "nothing", has since apologised for causing any offence.
A court in the western state of Rajasthan ordered the arrest of Gere for sweeping Shetty into his arms at an Aids awareness event in New Delhi last month.
'Frivolous' action
It wanted the actress to appear over charges that she did not resist Gere's advances. Two other similar cases were filed.
Legal proceedings are on hold until the Supreme Court makes a decision on a petition filed by Shetty's lawyer to combine all three cases and move the hearings to Mumbai, where the actress lives.
The Bollywood actress' lawyer Anand Grover called the cases "frivolous" and "a total misuse of the legal process".
She shot into the global limelight after being the victim of alleged racist bullying and insults on the UK's Celebrity Big Brother. She went on to win the contest.
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