Mumbai, Dec 17 (AHN) Maharashtra’s NCP minister Manikrao Kokate, on late Wednesday evening, was divested of the sports and minority affairs ministries after an arrest warrant was issued against him in a housing fraud case dating back to 1995.

He would continue to be minister without portfolio in the state cabinet, and his departments would be held by Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar.

NCP sources said that the decision about minister Kokate’s resignation will be taken late tonight after a meeting between Deputy CM Pawar and state unit chief Sunil Tatkare.

Manikrao Kokate is a five-term MLA from the Sinnar constituency in Nashik district with a history of shifting political loyalties. He has been sentenced to two years of imprisonment.

The Sessions Court upheld the conviction involving the illegal acquisition of government flats through forged documents.

Following the court's decision, an arrest warrant has been issued against Minister Kokate. He currently faces the imminent threat of arrest unless the High Court grants a stay on the conviction.

Amid these legal developments, Kokate’s health has deteriorated, and he has been admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai. He skipped the weekly cabinet meeting held on Wednesday at Mantralaya.

Kokate’s legal team informed the court that he is currently admitted to a government hospital. They requested a four-day stay on the arrest, but the court rejected the plea, noting that no medical certificate was provided and that he should have been present during the sessions court ruling.

Minister Kokate moved the Mumbai High Court against the Sessions Court ruling and sought an urgent hearing. He has requested a stay on the sentence in his petition.

Manikrao Kokate is currently admitted to a hospital, and the court will be informed about this as well.

If Kokate does not receive urgent relief from the Mumbai High Court, his troubles are set to increase. The high court has convened a hearing on Friday.

The case dates back to 1995 and involves the misappropriation of flats reserved under the Chief Minister’s quota. These flats are intended for low-income individuals who do not own any other property. Manikrao Kokate and his brother, Vijay Kokate, were accused of submitting fraudulent affidavits and documents to acquire two flats in the 'Nirman View Apartment' located in the Canada Corner area of Nashik.

Investigations revealed that the brothers were also utilising two additional flats in the same building that had been allotted to others. Based on an inquiry by the District Administration, Vishwanath Patil—then an official with the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) department—filed a formal complaint.

Subsequently, a case of fraud was registered at the Sarkarwada Police Station against four individuals, including the Kokate brothers. The court has now sentenced them to two years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each.

Since his induction into the cabinet, Minister Kokate has frequently been at the centre of various controversies. He was stripped of the agriculture ministry after the monsoon session of the state legislature held in July, after NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar had shared videos on social media alleging that Kokate was playing games on his mobile phone during a Legislative Council session.

While Minister Kokate denied the allegations, the incident drew heavy criticism.

Further, after controversial remarks on farmers, Minister Kokate sparked outrage. He stated, "Even a beggar doesn't accept one rupee, but here we provide crop insurance for just one rupee; yet some people try to take undue advantage of it." During a municipal campaign, Kokate took a swipe at his coalition partner, the BJP, calling it a "corrupt party" (batlela paksha) that relies solely on breaking other parties, while its loyal workers are sidelined.

Earlier this year, another NCP Minister, Dhananjay Munde, had to resign after his aide Walmik Karad was linked to the murder of Beed district's Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.