Maharashtra minister gets 2-year jail in cheating case

Maharashtra's agriculture minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate was on Thursday sentenced to two-year imprisonment by a Nashik district and sessions court for submitting fake documents to get flats under the chief minister's quota. After examining 10 witnesses, the court has acquitted two other accused.

The court also convicted his brother in the same case, registered in 1995 on the complaint of former minister, the late TS Dighole. The court has imposed a fine of ₹50,000 each on the two brothers. The minister said that the court granted him bail for 30 days to appeal against the judgement. "The case was filed by Dighole, the then state minister. This was a politically motivated case. We will go to the high court," said Kokate after the verdict.

Dighole had filed a complaint in 1995 that Kokate brothers falsely claimed that they belonged to the lower income group to claim two flats under the chief minister's 10% discretionary quota. Dighole had approached Sarkarwada police station in Nashik. Kokate was also accused of usurping two more flats.


Following the verdict, Maharashtra Opposition has demanded his resignation. "Till now, they (NCP) were claiming that none of the allegations were proved and hence there was no need for any resignation. However, a court has tried and sentenced him to two years' imprisonment. So he should resign and be disqualified," said Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare.

State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal demanded that Kokate be sacked immediately.

Another NCP leader and Cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde is facing the heat after his close aide was arrested in an extortion case related to the brutal murder of a village sarpanch in Beed district in December.