MUMBAI :Shilpa Shetty and Reemma have been issued non-bailable warrants by the Madurai Court. Judicial Magistrate II, Seetharaman, had been issuing summons on a petition filed by one Dhakshinamoorthy, an advocate in Madurai, which mentioned that they had posed in an obscene manner in photographs published in a Tamil Eveninger in its issues in December 2005 and January 2006 and it also violated the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act and Young Persons Harmful Publications Act and IPC Sec 292 (sale of obscene books) but the actresses did not respond to the summons. The summons were also published in newspapers in Hindi and English. However, the actresses failed to appear in court. Hence non-bailable warrants were issued.

When called Shilpa replied “I don’t know what’s happening in Mumbai. I have just landed in New York and am not aware of the summons. I think the whole thing is blown out of proportion. My lawyer has been asked to handle the case and he is looking into the matters.”

She adds quickly, “I don’t know who this advocate from Madurai is? It is not a picture I had posed for. These photographs are stills from my Kannada film Auto Shankar. The movie has already been censored. So how can it be termed obscene? In a normal sequence even if you are draped in a saree your navel can be seen, would you term it as obscene? I don’t get the reason why and who is trying to attain publicity. But from my side I am very confident that the legal scores will be settled in my favour”. Shilpa says that she has already deputed her advocate and discussed details. “He is well versed with his job I am sure he will handle it,” she says.

Reemma has altogether different story to relate. “There is nothing obscene about the pictures. It’s a simple photo shoot I had done with my co-actor Simbu for Daboo Ratnani. I would never pose semi-nude even for a film let alone an obscene photo shoot. I don’t know who this strange advocate is and I don’t understand what according to him is obscene and what is not. I have not posed topless neither have I have given any hot obscene gestures with my co-star,” she replies. “Since I have been issued summons I have asked my lawyer to look into the matter and do the needful,” she adds.