DMK chief M Karunanidhi leaves a hotel to meet daughter Kanimozhi in New Delhi on Monday. Picture by Prem Singh

New Delhi, May 23 (PTI): An emotional M. Karunanidhi today met daughter Kanimozhi, arrested in the 2G spectrum case, at the Tihar jail here and spent 30 minutes with her.

The 87-year-old DMK president drove to the jail around 5.30pm accompanied by wife Rajathi Ammal, Kanimozhi’s husband Aravindan and grandson Aditya.

Karunanidhi, who arrived here this morning, met Kanimozhi, a DMK Rajya Sabha member, at the deputy jail superintendent’s office and spent over 30 minutes with her.

Emotions ran high when Karunanidhi and Kanimozhi came face-to-face for the first time since she was arrested and sent to jail on Friday.

“The family members were with Kanimozhi for nearly 30 minutes... we were not monitoring the meeting,” Neeraj Kumar, director-general (prisons), Tihar jail, told reporters after the meeting.

It was a complete family affair as Karunanidhi, who has described Kanimozhi’s arrest as “vendetta”, and Rajathi Ammal spent time talking to their daughter in the jail. Rajathi Ammal is camping in New Delhi since Friday.

Karunanidhi and his family members were offered tea by the prison authorities. Sources said it was a “very emotional” meeting during which the jail authorities left them undisturbed.

Later, the DMK chief met former telecom minister A. Raja and Kalaignar TV managing director Sharad Kumar, both in jail in connection with the scam.

After meeting his daughter, Karunanidhi, who was planning to return to Chennai this evening, came back to the hotel where he is staying. Home minister P. Chidambaram met him there.

At the jail, Karunanidhi’s car was allowed to go till the entrance of jail no. 6, considering his age.

Several DMK MPs and senior leaders also accompanied Karunanidhi to the jail premises but they did not meet Kanimozhi.

Billed as purely a “personal visit” by senior DMK leaders, Karunanidhi did not meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi during his daylong stay.

Karunanidhi meets Sonia whenever he visits New Delhi. It has been the practice ever since the party aligned with the Congress in 2004.

Earlier, with tears rolling down her eyes, Union minister M.K. Alagiri’s wife Kanthi met Kanimozhi at a trial court and consoled her.

Kanthi, who arrived here this morning, went along with her son Durai Dayanithi and others to the special CBI court at the Patiala House court complex and they spoke to her for a few minutes.

Plea for bail

Kanimozhi today moved Delhi High Court for bail, citing the need to look after her school-going son who is devoid of the care of his father who works abroad.

The court is likely to hear the plea tomorrow.