Pune, Dec. 18 -- Contradictory claims made by Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate in two separate applications submitted in 1994-one seeking a firearm licence and another for flats under a government housing scheme-eventually became the basis of a cheating and forgery case that has landed him in serious legal trouble more than three decades later. According to officials, Kokate had applied for a firearm licence in 1994, citing personal security concerns. He had claimed that he routinely handled large sums of cash while making weekly payments of Rs.9,000-Rs.10,000 each to 40-50 workers in his dairy business. Around the same time, however, he and his brother Vijay Kokate applied for flats at Canada Corner, one of the prime residential areas in Nashik city, under the Chief Minister's Housing Scheme, meant for beneficiaries from economically weaker sections (EWS). Kokate allegedly claimed agricultural income as his sole source of revenue while applying for the flats under the 10% discretionary housing quota and even obtained a recommendation letter from then-minister Tukaram Dighole. Kokate owns agricultural land in the Sinnar taluka of Nashik district. Authorities subsequently noted a significant contradiction between Kokate's claims in the firearm licence application and his eligibility under the EWS housing scheme, prompting suspicion and further scrutiny. The matter gained momentum after Dighole filed a complaint in 1995, following which the Nashik police registered a case of cheating and forgery against the Kokate brothers. After a prolonged legal battle spanning nearly three decades, a Nashik magistrate's court on February 20 convicted Manikrao Kokate and Vijay Kokate of cheating and forgery and sentenced them to two years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs.50,000 each. Two other accused named in the case were acquitted. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Ashutosh Rathod, lawyer for the Dighole family, said, "Kokate submitted two different affidavits as income proof in the same year-one for his firearm licence application and another for the housing scheme. We highlighted this discrepancy before the court, following which action was initiated." According to officials, Kokate had initially sought recommendation letters from Dighole for his workers. However, eventually, Kokate, his brother, and two others secured four flats at Canada Corner. Each flat measured around 550 square feet and was allotted at a subsidised cost of approximately Rs.1.5 lakh. The illegal merger and commercial use of the flats further strengthened the case against Kokate, said senior lawyer Ashok Awahad. Properties in the Canada Corner area near College Road in Nashik currently command market rates ranging from Rs.7,500 to Rs.9,500 per square foot. The Kokate brothers challenged the conviction before a sessions court, which initially stayed the execution of the sentence and granted them bail. However, earlier this week, the sessions court upheld the magistrate's verdict, prompting the magistrate court to issue an arrest warrant against Manikrao Kokate. While pronouncing the verdict, the magistrate court had allowed the Kokates to retain possession of the flats. Rathod said the complainant's family plans to approach a higher court seeking directions to vacate the premises and restore them to the government. "These allegations are not politically motivated. The investigation was conducted by competent authorities, and their findings were placed before the court. Based on the evidence, the court convicted Kokate," said Rathod. On Wednesday, Kokate moved the Bombay High Court, challenging the conviction and sentence, seeking urgent relief. The court declined to intervene immediately and posted the matter for hearing on Friday....