Manikrao Kokate Nashik/Mumbai: NCP minister Manikrao Kokate was divested of all his ministerial portfolios on Wednesday, hours after a court in Nashik issued warrants for his and his brother Vijay’s arrest in a 1995 EWS housing quota cheating case. A day earlier, a sessions court in Nashik upheld the trial court’s Feb 20 judgment, convicting and sentencing the Kokate brothers to two years of rigorous imprisonment.Sources said CM Devendra Fadnavis wrote to governor Acharya Devvrat, recommending Kokate be divested of his portfolios (sports and youth welfare and minority development and aukaf) and that the portfolios be handed over to NCP chief and deputy CM Ajit Pawar. Devvrat issued a letter approving the CM’s recommendation, sources said.Kokate, who is the MLA from Sinnar, is the second NCP politician after Dhananjay Munde to have faced action since the Mahayuti alliance formed govt in Nov 2024. Munde had to step down in March after the CM called for his resignation over allegations linking his associate Valmik Karad to the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.While Nashik commissioner of police Sandeep Karnik said they had received a non-bailable warrant against Kokate and his brother, Bombay high court has posted the hearing of the minister’s application for relief on Friday. Kokate got admitted to Mumbai’s Leelavati Hospital on Wednesday.All these developments came on a day when a section of NCP functionaries said Kokate should resign. Though there has so far been no statement from NCP on Kokate’s fate, the opposition said merely divesting him of portfolios was not enough and he should be disqualified with immediate effect.Earlier in the day, the court of additional chief judicial magistrate Rupali C Narwadiya in Nashik rejected Kokate’s application citing medical grounds to seek four days to surrender and issued the arrest warrants.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Vande Mataram’ Chants Echo As Indian Diaspora Welcomes PM Modi In Oman’India-Oman FTA To Open Major Opportunities Across Key Sectors’: Commerce Minister Piyush GoyalBangladesh Leader’s Seven Sisters Remark Triggers Diplomatic Row, India Summons Envoy Issues WarningBusiness Leaders See Major Growth Potential In India-Oman Ties As PM Modi Visits Muscat‘Might Never See Him Again’: Imran Khan’s Sons Claim ‘Psychological Torture’ In Pak’s Adiala JailDelhi Pollution: China Shares Playbook On How To Fix Air Quality Amid Politics Over AccountabilityExplained: The ₹30 Crore Film Deal That Led To Bollywood Director Vikram Bhatt And His Wife’s ArrestIndia Strengthens Maritime Dominance As Second MH-60R Squadron Joins Indian Navy At INS HansaViksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill Explained: Education Reform Or A Quiet Erosion Of FederalismNational Herald Case: Kharge Alleges ED Misuse, BJP Strikes Back With ‘Most Corrupt Family’ Dig123PhotostoriesBollywood book adaptations from Devdas, Maqbool, Badlapur that shine on screenWhat to gift a fitness enthusiast for Christmas 2025Belly fat isn’t just about weight: Doctor explains how it is linked to fatty liver and diabetes5 ways to add peanut butter to daily breakfast8 types of winter laddoos to keep you warmCatching the vibe of the ‘grey’ season: 5 animals that are grey in colourChristmas 2025: How to make moist Eggless Chocolate Cake in a pressure cooker5-minute brain workouts that work: Memory-boosting moves for all agesJohn Abraham birthday special: ‘Dhoom’, ‘Force’, ‘The Diplomat’, films with career-defining roles that made him Bollywood’s ultimate action star to watch on OTT platforms5 upcoming sneaker releases of 2026 that will be worth the hype123Hot PicksBomb Threat AhmedabadPark Medi World sharesPunjab election result 2025Gold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays DecemberBank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingTaylor Swift WeddingJosh Jacobs InjuryMarvin Harrison JrWho is Quinn EwersPatrick MahomesTravis KelceChris PaulEthan McLeodStephen Curry NBA ContractNBA Cup Banner
Nashik/Mumbai: NCP minister Manikrao Kokate was divested of all his ministerial portfolios on Wednesday, hours after a court in Nashik issued warrants for his and his brother Vijay’s arrest in a 1995 EWS housing quota cheating case. A day earlier, a sessions court in Nashik upheld the trial court’s Feb 20 judgment, convicting and sentencing the Kokate brothers to two years of rigorous imprisonment.Sources said CM Devendra Fadnavis wrote to governor Acharya Devvrat, recommending Kokate be divested of his portfolios (sports and youth welfare and minority development and aukaf) and that the portfolios be handed over to NCP chief and deputy CM Ajit Pawar. Devvrat issued a letter approving the CM’s recommendation, sources said.Kokate, who is the MLA from Sinnar, is the second NCP politician after Dhananjay Munde to have faced action since the Mahayuti alliance formed govt in Nov 2024. Munde had to step down in March after the CM called for his resignation over allegations linking his associate Valmik Karad to the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.While Nashik commissioner of police Sandeep Karnik said they had received a non-bailable warrant against Kokate and his brother, Bombay high court has posted the hearing of the minister’s application for relief on Friday. Kokate got admitted to Mumbai’s Leelavati Hospital on Wednesday.All these developments came on a day when a section of NCP functionaries said Kokate should resign. Though there has so far been no statement from NCP on Kokate’s fate, the opposition said merely divesting him of portfolios was not enough and he should be disqualified with immediate effect.Earlier in the day, the court of additional chief judicial magistrate Rupali C Narwadiya in Nashik rejected Kokate’s application citing medical grounds to seek four days to surrender and issued the arrest warrants.
