Nashik, Feb 20 The Nashik district court on Thursday sentenced Maharashtra Agriculture Minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate and his brother Sunil Kokate to two years in prison and also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each in a case of embezzling flats provided under the Chief Minister's quota by using fake documents during 1995 and 1997.
However, two hours after its verdict, the Nashik District Court granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 15,000 to Agriculture Kokate.
The court has also granted him 30 days to appeal in the Sessions Court. Kokate has indicated that he would approach the Bombay High Court against Nashik District Court’s verdict. He was elected by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP from the Sinnar Assembly segment situated in Nashik district.
Earlier, the Nashik District Court in its verdict sentenced Kokate and his brother Sunil Kokate to two years in prison and also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each in a case of embezzling flats provided under the Chief Minister's quota by using fake documents during 1995 and 1997. The petition was filed by former minister Tukaram Dighole and the hearing in this case was going on in the Nashik District Court for the past several years.
The petitioner had argued that 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.
However, 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.
The then Additional District Collector had investigated and registered a case at the Sarkarwada police station under IPC 420, 465, 471, 47 against Manikrao Kokate, his brother Sunil Kokate and two others total for defrauding the government by obtaining flats on the basis of fake documents.
The hearing of this case was completed on Thursday in the Nashik district court. The government prosecutor, Advocate Poonam Ghodke argued in the court on behalf of the government. Two other accused in the case have been acquitted by the court for want of evidence. The investigation revealed that the flats of the concerned people were also being used by the Kokate brothers.
The verdict had put Kokate's legislatorship and ministerial post in jeopardy. He would have faced a disqualification as under the stipulated norms if the public representative is sentenced to two or more years he or and may lose the legislatorship and also the ministerial post.
The assembly Apeaker’s role is crucial in taking decision on Kokate’s disqualification based on the district court’s order. However, Kokate has received a sigh of relief after the district court granted him bail.
However, Congress has demanded Kokate’s resignation. The Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should immediately take Kokate’s resignation.
“Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, who called farmers beggars, has been sentenced to 2 years in prison by the court. The Chief Minister should take his resignation. There are so many industrious and bright people in the cabinet of the Grand Alliance government that the government is cutting a sorry figure every day. Allegations are being made, and sentences are being given by the courts. The Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers are themselves giving clean chits to the accused ministers while supporting them," he said.
The state unit president Harshvardhan Sapkal also demanded that corrupt ministers like Manikrao Kokate be dismissed from the cabinet. He has also sought the dismissal of former agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde, who is currently the minister of food and civil supply, for allegedly committing corruption during his stint as the agriculture minister.
“The BJP-led coalition government has become a gang of corrupt ministers. It has been revealed that former Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde has crossed all limits while committing corruption in the name of farmers. Now the Nashik District Court has sentenced Manikrao Kokate to two years in prison for cheating by preparing fake documents. Both of them should be dismissed from the cabinet,” said Sapkal.
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