Nasik district court issues arrest warrant against Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate
MUMBAI: Upholding the junior court order , the Nasik District Session court on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant against the Maharashtra sports minister and NCP MLA, Manikrao Kokate for cheating and forgery to obtain two apartments under the chief minister's 10 per cent housing quota. The Nasik session court on Tuesday upheld the order of the First Class court byconfirming the two years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 for falsifying the income proof documents to get apartments. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called DCM Ajit Pawar to discuss the matter and possible names as a replacement for Mr Kokate once he resigns after the arrest. Ajit Pawar has sought time for the same. Mr Kokate is now admitted to a hospital after complaining of chest pain and uneasiness. Manikrao Kokate had earlier approached the District court against the judgment of the first-class session court against the two-year sentence. However, thedistrict court refused to change the verdict, but it upheld the junior court's order of two years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 to NCP minister Manikrao Kokate. The district courts verdict is a major setback for Minister Kokate. If the Bombay High Court does not grant him immediate relief, he will lose his ministerial position and face a two-year prison sentence. Kokate was convicted in connection with the illegal acquisition of two flats under the Chief Ministers discretionary quota. Kokate and his brother Sunil Kokate were convicted for offences punishable under Sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 474 (possession of forged documents) and 34 (acts done by several persons with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The case against Kokate was registered in 1995 on the complaint of former minister, late T S Dighole. As per the prosecution complaint, Kokate and his brother were allotted two flats meant for the Low Income Group (LIG) on College Road in Yeolakar Mala area under the Chief Minister's 10 per cent discretionary quota. NCP MLA Kokate will face disqualification as per the Representation of People Act, 1951. As per Section 8 (3) of the said Act, a person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release.
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