Mumbai: Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt will record his statement with the Mumbai Police in the next couple of days in connection with actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide case, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Sunday.

Besides him, producer-director Karan Johar's manager has been called to record the statement and if needed, Johar himself will be asked to do so, the minister said.

"Mahesh Bhatt will record his statement in a day or two," Deshmukh told reporters.

The police are investigating allegations that professional rivalry, besides clinical depression, drove the actor to suicide.

"Summons have also been sent to actor Kangana Ranaut, asking her to record her statement," the minister said.

After Rajput's suicide at his apartment in Mumbai last month, Ranaut had lashed out at nepotism and cartels in Bollywood, alleging that he was its victim.

According to police, Ranaut is currently in Manali.

Deshmukh said that police have so far recorded statements of 37 people in connection with the case.

They include director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, filmmaker, and Yash Raj Films (YRF) chairman Aditya Chopra and film critic Rajeev Masand.

The "Chhichore" actor, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in Mumbai on June 14.

Rajput starred in films such as "Shuddh Desi Romance", "Raabta", "Kedarnath" and "Sonchiriya". But his most prominent role came as cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the biopic- "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story".

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Malegaon (Maharashtra), Nov 23: In a closely contested election, Mohammad Ismail Abdul Khalique of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has retained the Malegaon Central assembly seat, winning by a razor-thin margin of 162 votes.

This victory in the north Maharashtra constituency marks a significant turnaround for Khalique, who previously enjoyed a commanding lead in the 2019 elections, winning by over one lakh votes.

Khalique, an Islamic scholar, received a total of 1,09,653 votes this time, narrowly defeating his nearest rival, Asif Shaikh Rasheed of the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra party, who got 1,09,491 votes.

There were a total of 13 candidates contesting in this Muslim dominated constituency. Barring Khalique and Rasheed, two other candidates -- Shaan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed of Samajwadi Party and Ejaz Baig Aziz Baig managed below 10,000 votes. Other remaining candidates were below 1,000 votes.

This election marks Khalique's third term as an MLA. He initially represented the Malegaon Central seat in 2009 as a member of the Jan Surajya Shakti party.

However, Khalique faced a setback in the 2014 elections when he contested under the banner of the Nationalist Congress Party and lost.

His return to the assembly in 2019 under the AIMIM banner solidified his political presence, and despite the significantly reduced margin this year, he has once again emerged victorious.

The results highlight the competitive nature of the Malegaon Central constituency and underscore Khalique's resilience in maintaining his position amidst changing political dynamics.