After protests in several cities over Hollywood star Richard Gere's on-stage kiss and hug to Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, an NGO activist in New Delhi filed a police complaint while a Jaipur lawyer approached a court seeking action against the two.

Subodh Jain, head of a small NGO called Citizen Fundamental filed the complaint in the Man Sarovar police station in northeast Delhi.

"I have filed a police complaint against Gere for spreading obscenity at a public place and against Shetty for supporting him," Jain, a journalist-turned activist, told.

Gere hugged Shetty, bent over her and planted several kisses on her cheeks during an AIDS awareness event at the Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar in the national capital Sunday evening.

The kissing episode raised the hackles of several conservative groups, with protestors coming out on the streets and burning effigies of the actors Monday.

Protests were staged in Kanpur, Varanasi (both in Uttar Pradesh), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Mumbai and Delhi.

Jain said though such scenes are common in Bollywood movies, it could have been avoided in a public place - that too in front of thousands of truck drivers. He said police assured him they would take necessary steps after taking legal advice.

However, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast Delhi) J. Singh said: "Since kissing is not banned in India, we have filed a police complaint but no FIR (first information report) has been registered."

In Jaipur, a complaint was filed in a court against Shetty and Gere for indulging in an "obscene act".

In the complainant, Poonal Chandra Bhandari, an advocate, accused the stars of committing "an obscene act" in public place - a crime under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

After hearing the complaint, the additional chief judicial magistrate sought by April 25 the video recording of the incident.

Section 294 of the IPC provides for up to three months in jail and/or suitable fine.