Former Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Manikrao Kokate was admitted to the ICU after the Nashik sessions court charged him in a 1995 cheating case. He stepped down from the state’s Sports Minister post on 17 December after the court pronounced him guilty in a cheating and forgery case associated with a state government housing scheme.
Confirming an imprisonment sentence of 2 years and a fine of ₹50,000 against the 68-year-old Manikrao Kokate, Nashik district and sessions court on Tuesday upheld the order of a first-class judicial magistrate in the three-decade-old housing scam case.
Manikrao Kokate complains of chest pain
According to a PTI report, Manikrao Kokate complained of chest pain and uneasiness and is getting treatment at Lilavati Hospital in suburban Bandra. An arrest warrant was issued against the minister on Wednesday after the court dismissed his appeal against the earlier verdict, but his admission in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital deferred his arrest temporarily.
Following this landmark verdict, Governor Acharya Devvrat reassigned Manikrao Kokate’s ministries to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, as he was stripped of his portfolios. Notably, the Maharashtra Sports Ministry is currently under the charge of Ajit Pawar. Manikrao Kokate, who won from Sinnar assembly constituency 5 times, served as an NCP MLA from the constituency in Nashik district.
Governor Devvrat addressed a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, where he stated, “I have received your letter dated 17 December 2025, recommending to allocate the portfolio of Sports and Youth Welfare, Minority Development and Aukaf held by Adv Manikrao Saraswati Shivaji Kokate to Shri Ajit Ashatai Anantrao Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister (Finance and Planning, State Excise.
“I hereby convey my approval to your abovementioned recommendation.”
In the case dating back to 1995, Manikrao Kokate and his brother, Vijay Kokate, were convicted, in connection with the alleged misuse of a 10% quota meant for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in a housing scheme.
Meanwhile, after the conviction sentence, Manikrao Kokate’s lawyer approached the Bombay High Court seeking an urgent hearing. The court is scheduled to take up the matter on 19 December.
During the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature, Manikrao Kokate, who was then the state agriculture minister, was caught on camera allegedly playing a game on his mobile phone while the House was in session.
After the video went viral, he lost his agricultural portfolio and was transferred to the Sports and Youth Welfare Department.
Kokate later explained that he was not playing rummy. He claimed he had opened YouTube to check what was happening in the Lower House and that rummy advertisements appeared, which he skipped immediately. He said he had done nothing wrong and asked people to check his browsing history.
Later, he provided another clarification, stating that the game seen in the video was actually solitaire, not rummy, and that it may have been downloaded to his phone by a personal assistant or officer.
About the Author
