SC stays conviction of NCP leader Manikrao Kokate; bars him from holding office of profit
NEW DELHI: In a major relief to Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed his conviction in a cheating and forgery case. Issue notice to the Maharashtra government. Meanwhile, the conviction of the petitioner (Manikrao Kokate) shall remain stayed to the extent that there shall be no result of disqualification as a member of the state legislative assembly. However, that will not entitle the petitioner to hold an office of profit. He shall not hold any office of profit, said a two-judge vacation bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Senior advocate and former Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Kokate, argued that this was a case deserving relief as Kokate was a five-time MLA, a current minister, had no criminal antecedents, and had been awarded a two-year sentence. I am not a holder of any post in 1989. I started as a lawyer. A lawyer in 1989 cannot have Rs 30,000. Please consider all this, my lords, Rohatgi submitted. Kokates conviction and two-year jail sentence awarded by a magistrate in February this year were upheld by a Nashik sessions court last Tuesday, which held that Kokate and his brother had dishonestly induced the state government to allot them flats. The Supreme Courts special vacation bench was hearing Kokates appeal in the cheating and forgery case linked to a government housing scheme. Although the Bombay High Court had suspended his two-year jail term on December 19, 2025, it had refused to stay his conviction, noting that prima facie evidence pointed to Kokates involvement. Challenging the High Courts refusal to stay his conviction, Kokate moved the apex court seeking relief. The NCP leader has been accused of securing a flat under a government housing scheme meant for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) by submitting false affidavits regarding his income. After hearing the submissions, the top court granted relief to Kokate by staying his conviction in the cheating case.
10 C
