Fraud and cheating case: Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate strips off portfolio

Mumbai: In a major development involving the JP-led Maha Yuti in Maharashtra, controversial NCP leader and state Sports and Youth Welfare, Minorities Development and Aukaf Manikrao Kokate was stripped off his portfolio after he found himself in a major trouble on Wednesday after the Nashik Sessions Court convicted him in a three-decade-old case of fraud and cheating.

As soon as a First-Class Magistrate Court in Nashik issued an arrest warrant against him, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde, the chief leader of Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar, who is the NCP President.

Based on the recommendations of Fadnavis, Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat allocated the four portfolios held by Kokate to Pawar, who is the Finance, Planning and State Excise Minister.

Meanwhile, Kokate moved the Bombay High Court challenging his conviction and sought an anticipatory bail, which would be heard on Friday.

Kokate was admitted to a private hospital Mumbai after discomfort and chest pain, however, details were not available.

Kokate (68), a five-time MLA from Sinnar in Nashik district, has been in trouble ever since he assumed the ministerial post in the Fadnavis-headed government.

On Tuesday, the Nashik Sessions Court upheld the sentence of two years imprisonment.

Earlier this year, a First-Class Magistrate Court convicted Kokate and his brother Vijay Kokate in the case registered in 1997 on the complaint of former minister, late T S Dighole. The case was registered by the Sarkarwada police station of Nashik.

The Kokate brothers were allotted two flats meant for the Low Income Group (LIG) on College Road in Yeolekar Mala area here under the Chief Minister's 10 per cent discretionary quota by submitting fabricated documents that suppressed their income.

The Representation of the People Act, 1951, mandates disqualification for elected representatives sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more in a criminal case.

It may be mentioned, in December 2023, then Congress MLA Sunil Kedar was disqualified by the state legislature secretariat within 24 hours of a Nagpur court convicting him of financial irregularities in a district co-operative bank.

After the warrant was issued against him, Kokate skipped the weekly Cabinet meeting and remained incommunicado.

Man of many controversies

Controversy thy name is Manikrao Kokate.

During the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature, Kokate, the then state Agriculture Minister, was caught on a smartphone camera allegedly playing rummy on his mobile phone while the proceedings were underway.

However, he lost the prestigious Agriculture ministry and was allocated the Sports and Youth Affairs portfolio. After the video went viral, Kokate had said: “The proceedings of Upper House ended…I was browsing to know what was happening in the Lower House….that's why opened YouTube…At that time, Junglee Rummy advertisements popped up and in seconds, I switched to another page…I was skipping the advertisements…see the entire browsing history…I have not committed any sin…since my work is transparent, why would I indulge in such things? I didn’t even notice the ad. I skipped that second itself.”

However, later, he clarified: “It wasn't rummy, but solitaire on my phone. Some PA or OSD must have downloaded that game on my phone”.

Earlier on the agrarian distress, Kokate said: “…even a beggar does not take Re 1 as alms, but here we are giving crop insurance for Rs 1. Even then there are people who try to misuse it. There are irregularities like people from other states applying” and “crop loans are being misused for other purposes like engagements and weddings.” However, later he said he meant the government a “beggar” - and the “beggar” comment was not for farmers.

Second minister in major trouble

It may be recalled, earlier this year, state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Dhananjay Munde of the NCP had to resign after his close aide Valmik Karad was arrested in a muder case. Later when NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal was inducted in the Cabinet he was given the ministry earlier held by Munde.