Kanimozhi leaves jail, greeted by fireworks at home

Dressed in a pink salwaar-kameez, Kanimozhi emerged from Tihar Jail at 7:30 this evening. The daughter of the DMK president used a rear gate to drive out - an attempt to evade the hundreds of cameras that were waiting.

Her husband, Aravindan, was in the car with her. Senior DMK leader TR Baalu handed her a bouquet of flowers. She was seen clutching onto them as she arrived at her home in New Delhi's Swarna Jayanti Sadan.

The MPs present at her residence included Mr Baalu, TKS Elangovan, Vasanthi Stanley, Selvanaganapathy and Helen Davidson. Minister of state for Finance Palanimanickam was also there. Fireworks had been arranged by her party and they announced the 43-year-old's arrival at home. Kanimozhi is seen here with her husband Aravindan.

The Rajya Sabha MP, who was arrested on May 20 this year, for her alleged role in the telecom scam, was granted bail by the Delhi High Court on Monday (November 28). Earlier suggestions that the party will attempt to confer a sort of martyrdom on Kanimozhi for her term in jail resonated at her residence this evening. DMK MP Vasanthi Stanley, who was at Kanimozhi's residence to greet her, said that she deserves some important post in the party having withstood 194 days in jail.

While a huge media contingent waited outside country's largest prison to capture the moments of her coming out, Kanimozhi was whisked away in a convoy of cars from a gate which was out of the media's view.

Her father, M Karunanidhi, who heads the DMK, had said on Monday that the party would prepare "some sort of welcome for her, though not a big one."

Ms Kanimozhi's travel to Chennai will have to take into account all court conditions that accompany her bail. Currently, she is required to attend daily hearings at Judge OP Saini's Delhi court that's handling the telecom trial. A total of 14 people were arrested for the telecom scam - 10 of them have been granted bail so far.