In a significant legal development, Maharashtra's Agriculture Minister, Manikrao Kokate, along with his brother Vijay Kokate, has been sentenced to two years in prison and fined Rs 50,000. The case, which dates back to 1997, involves charges of cheating related to the allocation of flats under a government scheme.
Poonam Ghotke, the Assistant Public Prosecutor handling the case, confirmed that the court's decision came after the examination of 10 witnesses. The case stems from allegations that the Kokate brothers had fraudulently obtained flats by claiming they had no property of their own and were financially struggling. They reportedly submitted fake documents to gain access to the 10% reserve quota for the Mukhya Mantri Nidhi scheme, designed to provide housing to eligible beneficiaries.
NCP's Maharashtra chief spokesman Anand Paranjape said that Kokate will be approaching the Bombay High Court against the Nashik district court ruling. A flat is provided to a person with a low income from the government from the Chief Minister's quota at a reduced rate. For this, the person concerned has to submit an affidavit and necessary documents stating that he does not have a flat anywhere in his name. Manikrao Kokate and his brother Sunil Kokate obtained two flats from the Chief Minister's quota in the Nirman View Apartment in the Canada Corner area of Nashik city by allegedly submitting fake documents during 1995 and 1997. Not only this but the other two flats in this building, which were obtained by others, were also being used by the Kokate brothers.