The incident took place an Aids awareness rally in April

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has appealed against obscenity charges brought against her after she was kissed in public by Richard Gere.

She also requested proceedings be moved from the court in Jaipur in Rajasthan state where the charges were filed to a court in Mumbai, where she lives.

"The complaints are a complete abuse of the due process of law," her lawyer was quoted as saying by the Reuters agency.

"She is being victimised because she is a well-known personality."

Gere sparked protests in India after kissing the UK's Celebrity Big Brother winner Shetty at an Aids awareness rally in New Delhi last month.

'Moral police'

The court in Jaipur issued an arrest warrant for the Hollywood actor and asked Shetty to appear before the court. Two similar cases have been filed elsewhere.

Gere has apologized for any offense caused but has accused "the moral police in India" of manufacturing the controversy.

Shetty, meanwhile, has blamed a "lunatic fringe" for creating the uproar over her allegedly "obscene" behavior.