Maharashtra agriculture minister’s fate to be decided on March 5 in cheating case

On February 24, the Nashik sessions court temporarily suspended the conviction and granted bail to Kokate and his brother on a surety of ₹1 lakh each. The next hearing on his plea for stay on his sentence is scheduled for March 5

Mumbai: The Nashik sessions court on Saturday adjourned the hearing on Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate’s plea seeking a stay on his two-year sentence in a cheating case to March 5. The court stated that the records from the magistrate’s court, which had convicted Kokate, were yet to be received and directed the lower court to send the relevant documents.

Maharashtra agriculture minister’s fate to be decided on March 5 in cheating case

Kokate, 67, was convicted on February 20 on charges of cheating and forgery in a case that dates back over three decades. The magistrate’s court found that Kokate and his brother, Vijay Kokate, had fraudulently acquired two flats under the chief minister’s discretionary quota—meant for economically weaker sections—by submitting fabricated documents.

Following his conviction, Kokate has filed a criminal appeal before the sessions court and is seeking a stay on his conviction. If granted, the stay would temporarily shield him from disqualification as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which mandates disqualification for individuals sentenced to two years or more in a criminal case.

Meanwhile, the sessions court rejected intervention applications filed by two individuals, including one Sharad Shinde, who sought to participate in the proceedings as concerned citizens and voters. The court ruled that they had no locus standi. One of the applicants also sought time to present additional documents, alleging that Kokate had not fully disclosed details in his election affidavit. This plea was also rejected.

The Opposition has been demanding Kokate’s immediate disqualification and removal from the cabinet following the February 20 ruling by the Nashik magistrate’s court, which sentenced both Kokate and his brother to two years in prison. The case was originally filed in 1995 by Shiv Sena leader Tukaram Dighole, then an MLA and minister in the BJP-Shiv Sena government.

On February 24, the Nashik sessions court temporarily suspended the conviction and granted bail to Kokate and his brother on a surety of ₹1 lakh each. The next hearing on his plea for stay on his sentence is scheduled for March 5.

What the cheating case is about

In 1995, Manikrao Kokate and his brother Vijay Kokate allegedly acquired two flats in Nashik under the government’s discretionary quota for the economically weaker sections by submitting forged documents.

The case was registered following a complaint by then-MLA and minister Tukaram Dighole of the Shiv Sena.

On February 20, 2025, a magistrate’s court in Nashik found them guilty of cheating and forgery and sentenced them to two years in prison.

Kokate appealed the conviction and sought a stay to avoid disqualification as an MLA. His sentence has been temporarily suspended, and he is out on bail.