Overview

• Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate and his brother were convicted of using forged documents to secure government-quota flats in 1995.
• A Nashik sessions court suspended their two-year prison sentence pending the outcome of their appeal against the conviction.
• The court granted bail to both Kokate and his brother on a surety bond of ₹1 lakh each, with a fine of ₹50,000 each also imposed.
• The conviction risks Kokate's disqualification under the Representation of the People Act, which bars public representatives sentenced to two or more years in prison from holding office.
• Opposition leaders are demanding Kokate's immediate disqualification, citing precedents of swift action in similar cases involving public officials.