Criminal charges levelled against India's leading living artist for an allegedly obscene depiction of a Hindu goddess have been quashed in a ruling that says religious extremism risks pushing the country into a "pre-Renaissance era".

Maqbool Fida Husain, 92, a Muslim who has been dubbed "the Picasso of India", was served with seven private criminal complaints by Hindu groups for the painting Bharat Mata (Mother India), a work representing the nation as a nude woman. The Delhi High Court judged that the picture, for which Mr Husain has apologised, carried no religious content and could not be construed as offensive.

Akhil Sibal, Mr Husain's lawyer, told The Times that the ruling was an important step, "ensuring artistic freedoms are not made victims at the hands of extremists".