Maharashtra Sports Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Manikrao Kokate has approached the Bombay High Court challenging his conviction and two-year prison sentence in a decades-old cheating and forgery case linked to the allotment of government housing meant for economically weaker sections.
Kokateโs plea was mentioned on Wednesday before a single bench of Justice R N Laddha by his counsel Aniket Nikam, who sought an urgent hearing. The High Court listed the matter for hearing on Friday and said it would consider Kokateโs request for suspension of conviction on that day. No interim relief was granted on Wednesday, as the defence did not press for a stay on the conviction at that stage.
During the brief hearing, Kokateโs lawyer submitted that the conviction could cost the minister his position in the state cabinet. He also pointed out that the Nashik sessions court, while deciding the appeal, had stayed the conviction. The High Court, however, reserved its consideration of the issue until the scheduled hearing.
The legal challenge follows a decision by the Nashik District and Sessions Court, which on Tuesday upheld the February 20 conviction and two-year jail term awarded by a magistrateโs court to Kokate and his brother Vijay Kokate. Sessions Court Judge P M Badar agreed with the trial courtโs finding that the accused had โdishonestly inducedโ the state government to secure housing benefits to which they were not entitled.
The sessions court noted that Kokate was a โprosperousโ farmer and rejected the claim that he qualified under a housing scheme introduced between 1989 and 1992 for economically weaker persons earning no more than โน30,000 annually. The brothers were accused of submitting false affidavits declaring incomes below the prescribed limit, which led to the allotment of flats in Nashikโs Vise Mala area in 1994.
According to the prosecution, the flats were allotted under the chief ministerโs 10 per cent discretionary quota and were meant for the Low Income Group. It was alleged that the accused falsely claimed LIG status and declared that they did not own any house in Nashik to become eligible for the allotment.
The sessions court upheld convictions under Sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), and 471 (using forged documents) of the Indian Penal Code. However, it granted partial acquittal for offences under Sections 467 and 474.
Meanwhile, questions have been raised about Kokateโs status as a sitting MLA following the conviction. Responding to queries on Wednesday, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said he had not yet received a certified copy of the courtโs order.
The Bombay High Court is expected to take up Kokateโs plea for suspension of conviction when the matter comes up for hearing on Friday.
