Richard Gere prepares to hug Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty during and event for HIV-AIDS awareness in New Delhi, 16 Apr 2007

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has asked India's Supreme Court to move an obscenity case against her and Hollywood actor Richard Gere to a nearby court.

Shetty's lawyer, Anand Grover, asked the court to transfer the case to Mumbai, where she lives. Her lawyer also asked for a stay on the proceedings against Shetty.

The case stems from a public appearance by Shetty and Gere, who repeatedly kissed and hugged the Bollywood star at an AIDS awareness event in April.

A judge in Jaipur issued an arrest warrant for Gere and summoned Shetty to his court, saying that Gere's actions violated India's strict public obscenity laws.

Gere has since left India.

Under Indian law, a person convicted of public obscenity faces up to three months in prison, a fine or both.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.