An emotional M Karunanidhi on Monday met his daughter and Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam member of Parliament Kanimozhi, arrested in the 2G spectrum case, at the Tihar jail in New Delhi and spent nearly 30 minutes with her. He also met former telecom minister A Raja and Kalaingar TV managing director Sharad Kumar, both arrested for their involvement in the scam.
After a hearing at a special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Patiala House, Kanimozhi was brought back to Tihar Jail at 17:15 hours. Half an hour later, her father arrived accompanied by a cavalcade of 10 cars. Two jeeps led Karunanidhi's black Mercedes Benz, which was followed by vehicles of security personnel. An ambulance also accompanied the cavalcade, in lieu of Karunanidhi's health.
Karunanidhi's cavalcade entered the jail through the administrative block and headed straight for the jail superintendent's office in Jail No 6. He was accompanied by Kanimozhi's mother and his third wife Rajathi Ammal, DMK Parliamentary Party leader TR Baalu and Kanimozhi's husband Aravindan. Jail sources said that Kanimozhi's 11-year-old son was also present.
Sources said that some DMK MPs also had tagged along for the visit, but only family members were allowed to meet Kanimozhi. They met in a room near the search area of jail Number 6, where visitors are searched before being sent through for a visit.
"Karunanidhi and Kanimozhi were visibly emotional as they embraced for the first time since her arrest. Kanimozhi's mother had carried some home cooked food for he," a jail source said.
Neeraj Kumar, director general (prisons), rediff.com, "Following a request from a DMK MP, Karunanidhi met his daughter in a room near the jail gate. The family met Kanimozhi for about 20 minutes. After she was escorted back, they met Raja and Sharad Kumar for 15 minutes." He said that "procedure was followed" to Karunanidhi's accommodate the Z-plus security.
Karunanidhi left with his cavalcade at 18.45 hour, without stopping to address the media camped outside the jail.
Some senior leaders of the DMK camped outside the jail even before Karunanidhi arrived. Leaders KP Ramalingam, Tiruchi Siva and Ritish were among the leaders present, but they too kept mediapersons at bay. Later, Home Minister and senior Congress leader from Tamil Nadu P Chidambaram met him.
