Order on staying Kokate’s conviction put off till March 1

If the court does not stay Kokate’s conviction, he could be disqualified as member of legislative assembly

Mumbai: The fate of state agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate will hang in balance till March 1 as the Nashik sessions court has reserved its order on staying his conviction in a 30-year-old cheating case. The court, on Tuesday, continued hearing his appeal against the conviction for the second consecutive day, following which it declared that the order would be passed on March 1.

Order on staying Kokate’s conviction put off till March 1

If the court does not stay Kokate’s conviction, he could be disqualified as member of legislative assembly as per provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which mandate that a person cannot continue in office as a public representative upon being sentenced to prison for two or more years. The Opposition has been demanding his disqualification and sacking as minister since he and his brother Vijay Kokate were sentenced to two years imprisonment by the Nashik district court last Thursday.

The case dates back to 1995, when Kokate and his brother allegedly acquired flats under the government quota in Nashik by submitting fake documents suppressing their income. The case was registered following a complaint by Shiv Sena leader Tukaram Dighole, then MLA of Sinnar and a minister in the BJP-Shiv Sena government.

On Monday, the Nashik sessions court had suspended the two-year sentence handed to him and his brother and granted the duo bail on a surety of ₹1 lakh each.