Conviction Stayed: Maharashtra Minister Avoids Disqualification

A Maharashtra court has stayed the conviction of state minister Manikrao Kokate in a 1995 forgery case, preventing his disqualification and averting costly re-election. Kokate, from the Nationalist Congress Party, faces allegations of submitting fake documents for government housing. The decision awaits his appeal's outcome.

A Maharashtra court has stayed the conviction of state minister Manikrao Kokate, implicated in a 1995 cheating and forgery case. The decision prevents Kokate's disqualification and subsequent re-election, which would have required substantial public funds.

Voters had placed their trust in Kokate, a legislator for the Sinnar assembly constituency, and a member of the Nationalist Congress Party. A lower court previously sentenced Kokate and his brother to two years in prison for allegedly using fake documents to secure flats under a government quota. The appellate court's intervention means his conviction and its consequences are on hold pending appeal.

The court emphasized the high stakes involved, referencing a similar Supreme Court decision in Rahul Gandhi's case. Not allowing a stay on Kokate's conviction could lead to irreversible political repercussions. The judgment acknowledges Kokate's standing in the community and the potential prejudice he would face without an appeal hearing.

(With inputs from agencies.)