New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.15 pm.

. DEL43 UP-VIRUS-3RD LD MINISTER UP minister Kamal Rani Verma dies of COVID-19 Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Minister Kamal Rani Varun died of COVID-19 at a hospital here on Sunday, the first minister in the state to succumb to the disease.

These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.15 pm. . DEL43 UP-VIRUS-3RD LD MINISTER UP minister Kamal Rani Verma dies of COVID-19 Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Minister Kamal Rani Varun died of COVID-19 at a hospital here on Sunday, the first minister in the state to succumb to the disease. She was 62. .

DEL30 PB-LIQUOR-DEATHS Death toll in Punjab spurious liquor tragedy rises to 98 Chandigarh: The death toll in the Punjab hooch tragedy rose to 98 on Sunday with 12 more people reported dead in Tarn Taran district after drinking spurious liquor. . DEL41 UP-KIDNAPPING-LD CBI PROBE UP govt to recommend CBI probe into lab technician kidnap, murder case Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to recommend a CBI inquiry into the kidnapping and murder of a lab technician in Kanpur, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Awanish Awasthi, said on Sunday. .

DEL28 UP-INUNDATION Release of water by Nepal inundates 61 villages in Bahraich Bahraich: Over 60 villages in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district have been inundated following the release of water by Nepal from its three barrages into rivers, a district administration official said on Sunday. . DES9 UP-AYODHYA-RITAMBHARA Ahead of Ram temple bhoomi pujan, Sadhvi Rithambara thanks 'brothers who sacrificed lives' Lucknow: Days before the bhoomi pujan ceremony to mark the beginning of the Ram temple's construction in Ayodhya, Hindutva leader Sadhvi Ritambhara has written an open letter on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan to express her "gratitude towards her lakhs of brothers who sacrificed their lives during the 500 years of struggle" of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. .

DEL44 JK-SEMINAR-ABDULLAH Abrogation of JK's special status neither ushered in development nor ended terrorism: Abdullah Jammu: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said the abrogation of the erstwhile state's special status had neither ushered in development nor put an end to terrorism as being narrated by some vested interests in New Delhi. . DES7 RJ-VIRUS-DEATHS Rajasthan reports nine more COVID-19 deaths, 561 fresh cases Jaipur: The COVID-19 death toll reached 703 on Sunday as nine more patients succumbed to the disease, while 561 new cases pushed the infection tally to 43,804, a health department official said..