Supreme Court allows Shilpa Shetty to go abroad

The Supreme Court allowed Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty to go abroad, staying a look out notice issued against her for the controversial on-stage pecks Hollywood star Richard Gere planted on her cheek during a public show here.

A bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan paved the way for Shilpa's visits abroad by staying the look out notice, linked to the arrest warrant issued against Hollywood actor Richard Gere.

In her application to the court Shilpa said that on a private complaint over Gere's pecks to her cheek during an AIDS awareness campaign in the capital last month, a Mundwar court near Alwar in Rajasthan on April 20 had ordered investigation into the episode.

Shilpa's counsel told the bench that while the Mundwar court had also barred Gere from leaving the country, another court in Jaipur April 26 had issued arrest warrant against him.

And these two legal actions against Gere had also resulted into issuance of a look out notice against Shilpa, impeding Shilpa's free movement, the counsel added.

As Shilpa's counsel mentioned the matter before the bench, which also had Justice B.P. Singh and Justice G.P. Mathur on it, stayed the notice issued against her and granted her permission to go abroad.

Ironically, the actress had to approach the court for suspension of the notice against her despite the apex court staying all criminal proceedings against her in various courts over the Gere kiss episode merely three days back.