After the attack, came handshake

When Kanimozhi’s lawyer Ram Jethmalani unleashed a no-holds-barred attack on A Raja, no one could ever imagine that the two would see eye-to-eye again. Harish V Nair reports.

When Kanimozhi’s lawyer Ram Jethmalani unleashed a no-holds-barred attack on A Raja, no one could ever imagine that the two would see eye-to-eye again.

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But, to the surprise of many present Kanimozhi and Raja shook hands and exchanged pleasantries when the court dispersed for lunch and there was hardly any hint of animosity

Kanimozhi was the cynosure of all eyes in the jam-packed courtroom at Patiala House when she stepped in at 10 am to appear before the special judge holding trial in the 2G-spectrum case

Clad in a green salwar kamiz and carrying a brown hand bag, 43-year-old Kanimozhi was escorted by her husband Aravindan and a battery of 11 DMK MPs including parliamentary party leader TR Baalu. “This is a show of solidarity at her hour of crisis,” as one MP put it. She meandered through the crowd and bowed before special judge OP Saini who asked her to be seated.

She apprehended arrest but there was no sign of nervousness on her face. Occupying a seat on the third row on the right of the judge, she smiled as she exchanged pleasantries with party workers and friends seated nearby.

“I would fight the case legally. It is a very serious charge but I am very sure that I will come out of it clean," she had said on Thursday.

Kanimozhi was seemed to be engaged in a friendly chat with fellow accused, MD of Kalaignar TV Sharad Kumar, who was seated next to her even as Jethmalani arguing her bail plea claimed she was innocent and put almost the entire blame on Raja and Kumar.

She thanked Jethmalani after he completed his argument. Raja, brought to court from custody at 9:45 am could not hide his happiness on seeing so many of his party colleagues and leaders in court for the first time after his arrest on February 3. The former telecom minister was seen greeting, shaking hands and hugging them.