Manikrao Kokate Gets Court Relief!
30-Year-Old Fraud Case Returns
Minister’s Controversies Pile Up
Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate has been granted relief by the Nashik District and Sessions Court, which suspended his two-year jail sentence in a forgery case dating back to 1995. This suspension allows Kokate to maintain his ministerial role and MLA status while his appeal is pending.
• Background of the Forgery Case
In 1995, Kokate and his brother, Sunil Kokate, were accused of falsifying income documents to acquire flats under the Chief Minister’s 10% discretionary quota, designated for the economically weaker section (EWS). They allegedly misrepresented their income to qualify for these flats located in the Nirman View Apartment on College Road, Yeolekar Mala, Nashik. The complaint was filed by former minister Tukaram Dighole, leading to charges under sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), and 471 (using forged documents) of the Indian Penal Code.
On February 20, 2025, the Nashik district court convicted both brothers, sentencing them to two years in prison and imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 each. The court also directed authorities to cancel the flat allotments obtained through the alleged fraudulent means. According to reports covered by Sprouts News, this conviction was a significant legal development in a case that had been pending for nearly three decades.
Also Read: SC Pushes for CBI Probe Into Builder-Bank Scam in the National Capital Region (NCR).
• Other Controversies Involving Manikrao Kokate
Beyond the forgery case, Kokate has been involved in other controversies:
• Remarks on the Rs 1 Crop Insurance Scheme
On February 15, 2025, during a meeting in Amravati, Kokate commented on the misuse of the Rs 1 crop insurance scheme for farmers, stating, “Even beggars don’t accept one rupee in alms, but the government is giving crop insurance for this sum and this too is being misused.” The scheme faced allegations of fraud, with reports indicating that over 400,000 crop insurance applications were rejected due to fraudulent claims. Kokate acknowledged that some applicants misrepresented non-agricultural land as farmland to claim insurance benefits but emphasized that no financial loss occurred, as no funds were transferred for the bogus applications. Sprouts News highlighted that this statement led to backlash from farmers’ unions, who demanded greater transparency in the implementation of the scheme.
– Political Allegiances
Kokate’s political journey has seen shifts between major parties. He has been associated with the Shiv Sena and the Congress before joining the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Following the NCP split, Kokate aligned with the faction led by Ajit Pawar and was appointed as the Agriculture Minister in the new Devendra Fadnavis-led government. Some political analysts, including those from Sprouts News, have speculated that Kokate’s shifting allegiances have helped him maintain political relevance despite legal challenges.
These controversies have kept Kokate in the public eye, raising questions about his political decisions and administrative conduct.