Nashik Court Upholds 2 Years Jail Term Of Maharashtra Minister

Mumbai: Maharashtra Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate’s political future has come under cloud after a sessions court upheld his two-year prison sentence in a case involving the fraudulent allotment of a government flat. The ruling puts Mr. Kokate’s continuance as an MLA, and consequently his cabinet berth, at risk under election laws that disqualify legislators convicted and sentenced to more than two years of jail term.

The First Class Magistrate Court had sentenced Mr. Kokate to the two-year prison sentence and also imposed Rs 10,000 fine on him. The case dates back more than three decades and pertains to the acquisition of a flat meant for the Low Income Group category by allegedly using fabricated documents.

The magistrate’s court had found that Mr. Kokate and his brother, Vijay Kokate, had fraudulently acquired two flats under the chief minister’s discretionary quota — meant for economically weaker sections — by submitting fabricated documents. However, subsequently they were granted bail, following which they had approached the sessions court. However, district sessions judge P.M. Badar upheld the sentence on Tuesday.

The case was filed in 1995 by former minister and Shiv Sena leader Tukaram Dighole, who accused the Kokate brothers of forging documents to fraudulently obtain flats in the Nirman View Apartment, located on College Road in Yeolekar Mala, Nashik.

Mr. Kokate, a five-time MLA from Sinnar in Nashik district, is currently aligned with the NCP led by Ajit Pawar. The Opposition has demanded his immediate disqualification and removal from the cabinet following the ruling.

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar demanded that the government should immediately dismiss Mr. Kokate from his post. Referring to past controversies related to Mr. Kokate, Rohit Pawar said, “The farmers’ dignity has been trampled, online rummy has been played and now the sentence has been upheld in the case of duping the government itself.”

The NCP (SP) legislator slammed the state government for not taking any action against Mr. Kokate earlier. “This government always spouts empty talk about ethics while shedding crocodile tears. What remains to be seen is how many more days will it keep protecting them (leaders like Mr. Kokate).”

Mr. Kokate had triggered a controversy after a videotape of him playing cards on his mobile phone in the state council went viral. Amid strong demand by the opposition for his resignation, he was divested of the Agriculture Department and later given the Sports Department.

Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “When Rahulji Gandhi and (then Congress MLA) Sunil Kedar were sentenced, their membership to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha were cancelled within 24 hours. One kind of justice is being applied to people in the ruling party and another to those in the Opposition. The government must immediately dismiss Mr. Kokate.”