Nashik District and Sessions Court Judge P M Badar directed Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rupali Nadvadia to take action, following which the arrest warrant was issued. Nashik police are expected to initiate further proceedings in the matter
The warrant followed a day after the court upheld the two-year prison sentence awarded to Manikrao Kokate. File Pic/X
A district court in Nashik issued an arrest warrant against Maharashtra Sports Minister and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Manikrao Kokate on Wednesday in connection with a cheating and forgery case dating back to 1995, reported the PTI.
The warrant followed a day after the sessions court upheld the two-year prison sentence awarded to him by a magistrate’s court earlier this year.
The arrest warrant was issued after Anjali Dighole-Rathod, daughter of the original complainant and former Maharashtra minister late T S Dighole, filed an application seeking Kokate’s arrest. Kokate was not present during the proceedings, according to the PTI.
Nashik District and Sessions Court Judge P M Badar directed Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rupali Nadvadia to take action, following which the arrest warrant was issued. Nashik police are expected to initiate further proceedings, the news agency reported.
Kokate moves Bombay High Court, hearing on Friday
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Kokate approached the Bombay High Court challenging his conviction and sentence. His counsel, Aniket Nikam, sought an urgent hearing before a single bench of Justice R N Laddha. While the plea was mentioned, the court scheduled the hearing for Friday and did not pass any interim order, as no immediate stay on the conviction was sought, as per the PTI.
The High Court indicated it would consider Kokate’s plea seeking suspension of the conviction at the next hearing.
Background of the case against Maharashtra minister
The case relates to the alleged submission of forged documents by Kokate and his brother Vijay Kokate to obtain flats under a state government housing quota meant for the Low Income Group (LIG). According to the prosecution, the brothers falsely claimed that they belonged to the economically weaker section and did not own any residential property in Nashik.
The flats were allotted in 1994 under the chief minister’s 10 per cent discretionary quota in the College Road and Vise Mala areas of Nashik.
Conviction
On February 20 this year, a magistrate’s court convicted Kokate and his brother and sentenced them to two years’ imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 50,000 each. While two other accused in the same case were acquitted, the Kokate brothers were found guilty of cheating and forgery.
In March, a sessions court stayed the conviction and granted bail pending appeal. However, on Tuesday, the sessions court upheld the magistrate’s order, observing that Kokate had “dishonestly induced” the state government to allot him a flat meant for economically weaker sections, and noted that he was a “prosperous” farmer at the time.
The sessions court upheld convictions under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating), and 471 (using forged documents), while granting partial acquittal under Sections 467 and 474.
Political implications
Asked about Kokate’s status as an MLA following the conviction, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said he had not yet received a certified copy of the court order.
Kokate’s counsel told the High Court that the conviction could result in the loss of his ministerial position.
(with PTI inputs)
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