India's top court releases Gandhi scion

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NEW DELHI, April 16 (AFP): India's top court conditionally released Thursday Varun Gandhi, one of the heirs to the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, who had been jailed for inciting religious hatred during election campaigning.
The Supreme Court ordered his release just hours after voting began in the first phase of month-long general elections, in which Gandhi is standing as a candidate for the opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Gandhi, 29, was released on condition that he refrain from making any inflammatory speeches similar to the one he gave last month at a rally when he allegedly vowed the BJP would "cut the heads of Muslims".
The rally was filmed and the footage aired on India television, after which Gandhi was taken into custody.