A Jaipur court issued an arrest warrant on Thursday against Hollywood actress actor Richard Gere and summoned Shilpa Shetty for appearance on May 5.

The court observed that their public kiss was "highly sexually erotic".

Dinesh Gupta, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jaipur city, issued the order on a PIL filed by Poonam Chand Bhandari, an advocate-resident in Jaipur.

Bhandari had complained that their public kiss during an anti-AIDS awareness programme in Delhi was an "indecent representation" of sexual activities in a public place.

He demanded action against them under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

The CJM, who viewed the video footage of the programme, observed that the attitude of the two film personalities was "highly sexually erotic" which had "transgressed all limits of vulgarity and have the tendency to corrupt the society".

He said Shetty's attitude was "cooperative" and she never restrained herself but kept inviting Gere for the kissing episode, which stretched on for a good while.

The court felt that Shetty was equally involved in an action that was impermissible under the Indian laws and which "denigrated" Indian culture, tradition and social values.

"Therefore, she is an accused under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code," it observed.

It directed the SP (Headquarters), Jaipur, that since Gere was a foreigner and could leave India he should be arrested at the earliest, and a warrant served on him.

A Metropolitan magistrate in Mumbai was requested to serve the summons on Shetty. Richard Gere has already left India.