Maharashtra Minister Manikrao Kokate Resigns Amid Fraud Charges

Resignation Following Legal Troubles

On Thursday, Manikrao Kokate, a cabinet minister in Maharashtra, submitted his resignation to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. This decision came just a day after he was removed from all ministerial positions. A Nashik court had issued an arrest warrant against Kokate and his brother Vijay in connection with a 1995 case involving fraudulent housing reservations for the economically weaker sections (EWS). Kokate lost his ministerial roles after being sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment for allegedly obtaining two flats by misrepresenting his income under the EWS quota.

Court Proceedings and Appeals

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accepted Kokate's resignation and forwarded it to Governor Acharya Devvrat for further action. Kokate, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), filed a petition in the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, seeking to stay the lower court's ruling that found him guilty of fraud and sentenced him to two years in prison. The 67-year-old Kokate is requesting a stay on his conviction and sentence to continue serving as an elected representative, as the Representation of the People Act, 1951, disqualifies elected officials sentenced to two years or more in criminal cases.

Background of the Case

The case dates back to between 1989 and 1992 when the state government initiated a housing scheme for those in need, defining eligibility as individuals with an annual income not exceeding ₹30,000. Kokate and his brother Vijay allegedly submitted false affidavits regarding their income to secure flats. In 1994, they were allocated flats in Nashik, falsely claiming eligibility for EWS housing. The sessions court upheld Kokate's sentence after reviewing evidence presented by the prosecution, which included numerous documents related to the fraud. He was convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), and 471 (using forged documents).