Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate was sentenced to two years for submitting fake documents to obtain flats. He plans to appeal the court’s decision amid calls for his resignation.
Nashik: Maharashtra Agriculture Minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate was sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday by a Nashik district court in a 1995 case related to submitting fake documents to obtain government quota flats.
The court also convicted his brother, Sunil Kokate, and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on both. However, two other accused were acquitted in the case.
Following the verdict, Kokate was granted bail and announced that he would appeal the decision in the High Court.
“I have decided to file an appeal against the verdict. We will do everything in accordance with the law….we will go to the High Court. I have been granted bail by the sessions court,”
Kokate told reporters.
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According to the prosecution, Kokate and his brother fraudulently obtained two flats under the Chief Minister’s 10% discretionary quota, meant for Low Income Group (LIG) beneficiaries.
- They allegedly falsely claimed to belong to the LIG category.
- They stated they did not own a house in Nashik, despite having property in the city.
- The flats were located on College Road in Yeolakar Mala, Nashik.
The case was initially filed in 1995 by former minister T S Dighole, who had political differences with Kokate.
“The case was filed by Dighole, with whom I had political enmity,”
Kokate said, asserting that he would fight the charges legally.
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Following Dighole’s complaint, the police registered a case of cheating, forgery, and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Sarkarwada police station.
The conviction raises concerns about Kokate’s political future, as he could face disqualification as an MLA if the High Court does not overturn the verdict.
Meanwhile, the rival NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) demanded his resignation after the court’s ruling.
Kokate is the second minister from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in the BJP-led Maharashtra government to face legal trouble.
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- Cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde is also under scrutiny, after his close aide was arrested in an extortion case linked to the brutal murder of a village sarpanch in Beed district in December 2024.
With Kokate set to challenge the conviction, all eyes are now on the High Court’s next move.
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