Court Stays Conviction of Maharashtra Minister in Forgery Case

A Nashik court has stayed the conviction of Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate and his brother, who were previously sentenced to two years for forgery in a 1995 cheating case. Their appeal against the magistrate's order was accepted, though detailed judgments are pending.

A court in Nashik has stayed the conviction of Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate and his brother in a 1995 cheating and forgery case, providing a temporary reprieve for the NCP leader.

Previously, a magistrate court had sentenced the Kokate brothers to two years in prison for submitting falsified documents to secure flats under a government quota originally intended for the Low Income Group.

Their appeal was heard by District Judge 1 and Additional Sessions Judge N V Jiwane, who accepted it, though a detailed order has yet to be released. The case was initiated based on allegations by former minister T S Dighole, leading to charges of cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code.

(With inputs from agencies.)