Raghunath broke down after he met his son Raja Shree Mohanty inside Balasore district jail. Raja Shree is already lodged in the jail on charges of dowry torture since March 18.
The senior BJD leader and his wife were brought to the jail at about 2.15 pm.
His wife Pritilata, who is in female ward, too turned emotional for a moment. Raghunath reportedly cried a lot and did not take much food.
The five-time MLA from Basta in Balasore district had a meteoric rise in the party and became one of the five vice-presidents for his proximity with the party chief.
He was given the post in recent BJD organisational poll.
Raghunath was in charge of key portfolios, including Parliamentary Affairs, Panchayati Raj, Steel and Mines, Industries, Law and Urban Development during his seven-year stint as a Cabinet minister.
Elected as Janata Dal candidate in 1990 and 1995, he had successfully contested elections from Basta constituency as BJD candidate in 2000, 2004 and 2009 elections.
He had resigned from the ministry on March 15, a day after his daughter-in-law Basra Swony Choudhury lodged a dowry torture case against him and four members of his family with the police.