Arrest Warrant Issued Against Maharashtra Sports Minister
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting with deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar to discuss Mr. Kokate’s possible removal from the cabinet
Mumbai: A Nashik court on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant against senior NCP leader and Maharashtra sports minister Manikrao Kokate, who has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in a case involving the fraudulent allotment of a government flat. Mr. Kokate has challenged his conviction before the Bombay High Court, which has not stayed the sentence and has posted the matter for hearing on Friday.
Opposition parties alleged that the government was shielding the minister. Mr. Kokate is currently admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting with deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar to discuss Mr. Kokate’s possible removal from the cabinet. A senior Mahayuti government source said the Chief Minister has asked Mr. Pawar to decide on the reallocation of the Sports, Youth Welfare and Minority Affairs portfolios, indicating that Mr. Kokate may be divested of his ministerial responsibilities.
Mr. Kokate’s counsel, Advocate Aniket Nikam, said the High Court would hear the matter on Friday. The 68-year-old Sinnar MLA is likely to resign if no relief is granted.
Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal accused the government of inaction, alleging selective application of the law. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar demanded Mr. Kokate’s resignation and questioned the delay in disqualifying his Assembly membership.
Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar said he had not received the arrest warrant.
On February 20 this year, a magistrate court convicted Mr. Kokate and his brother Vijay Kokate. The duo was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in the case, which pertained to submitting fake documents to get flats under the state government quota.
A sessions court had stayed their conviction on March 5. However, sessions court judge P.M. Badar on Tuesday upheld the jail term handed to the minister.
The case pertains to the period between 1989 and 1992, when the state government introduced a housing scheme reserved for the needy, defined as persons with an annual income not exceeding Rs 30,000. The brothers were accused of submitting false affidavits declaring that their income was below this threshold. They were subsequently allotted flats in the Vise Mala area of Nashik in 1994.
Though the minister has not resigned, his portfolio has been taken away and he remains a minister without portfolio, a government source informed.
