Maharashtra Sports Minister's Jail Term Upheld in Forgery Case

A court in Nashik district confirmed the two-year jail sentence for Maharashtra Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate in a 1995 forgery case. The sentence, originally given by a magistrate court, was for submitting fake documents to secure flats. The decision overrules a previous stay on the conviction.

The Nashik district court has affirmed the two-year imprisonment of Maharashtra Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate in a long-standing cheating and forgery case dating back to 1995. The verdict comes after a magistrate's court had initially convicted Kokate and his brother Vijay in February for submitting fake documents to obtain flats under a government quota.

Despite an initial stay issued by a sessions court on the conviction, Judge PM Badar of the Nashik District and Sessions Court ruled on Tuesday that the jail terms were appropriate, finding that the flats acquired were outside the prescribed norms, thus deceiving the state government.

This decision marks a significant development in the case against the NCP leader, echoing wider concerns about misuse of government quotas and the integrity of related processes.

(With inputs from agencies.)