Convicted NCP minister Kokate resigns from Maharashtra Cabinet

Convicted NCP minister Manikrao Kokate on Thursday resigned from Maharashtra Cabinet and tendered his resignation to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar after being found guilty in a housing scam by the Nashik local and district courts. Kokate's portfolios were on Thursday taken away on the recommendation of Chief Minister Fadnavis. Ajit Pawar said Manikrao Kokate has submitted his resignation to him following the outcome of the court’s verdict. “In keeping with our party’s long-standing philosophy that the rule of law is supreme and above all individuals, the resignation has been accepted in principle. I have forwarded Kokate’s resignation to Maharashtra Chief Minister for due consideration and acceptance, in accordance with constitutional procedure. Our party has always believed that public life must be guided by constitutional morality, institutional integrity, and respect for the judiciary. We stand firmly by the rule of law and will continue to act in a manner that upholds democratic values and public trust,” he said.

Kokate and his brother, Vijay Kokate, were convicted in a case dating back to 1995, related to the alleged misuse of a 10 per cent quota meant for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in a housing scheme. These two brothers were found guilty of offences including cheating and forgery. A court in Nashik district on Tuesday upheld the two-year jail sentence awarded to NCP leader Manikrao Kokate in a cheating and forgery case dating back to 1995. On their appeal, a sessions court had stayed their conviction on March 5. Nashik District and Sessions Court Judge PM Badar on Tuesday upheld the jail term handed to minister Kokate by the magistrate's court.

The case pertains to the period between 1989 and 1992, when the state government introduced a housing scheme reserved for the needy, defined as persons with an annual income not exceeding Rs 30,000. The brothers were accused of submitting false affidavits declaring that their income was below this threshold. They were subsequently allotted flats in the Vise Mala area of Nashik in 1994.