New Delhi, Jun 8 (PTI) These are the top stories from the northern region at 8.45 pm.

These are the top stories from the northern region at 8.45 pm. DEL28 UP-2NDLD GIRL-ARREST Aligarh murder accused was arrested earlier for sexually assaulting minor; 2 more held Aligarh (UP): Police on Saturday arrested two more people for the murder of a toddler here and confirmed that one of the men held earlier for the crime is an alleged sex offender who targeted children in recent years.

DES22-PB-AMARINDER-GROUPS(CORRECTED) Amarinder forms 8 consultative groups, leaves out Sidhu Chandigarh: Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has been left out of the eight consultative groups constituted by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to accelerate implementation of his government's flagship programmes. DES27-PB-SPEEDY-TRIAL Amarinder seeks speedy trial in rape cases, writes to Punjab & Haryana Chief Justice Chandigarh: Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Saturday asked Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Krishna Murari to ensure speedy trial in rape cases, observing that legal proceedings take "much longer than desired" despite timely investigation by the police.

DES15 RJ-GANGRAPE-ACTION (RPT) Alwar gang rape case: Raj govt orders FIR against SHO Jaipur: Rajasthan government has ordered the registration of a case against the officer who was the Thanagazi SHO when a woman was gang raped in that area in April. DES30-HR-FIRE-CHILDREN Woman, two children suffocated to death in Haryana's Faridabad Chandigarh: A woman and her two children suffocated to death after a fire broke out in a three-storeyed building that housed a playschool and a cloth shop in Haryana’s Faridabad Saturday, police said.

DES34 HR-RECRUITMENTS Haryana govt to fill 20,000 vacancies before assembly polls Chandigarh: With an eye on the assembly polls in October, the BJP government in Haryana will soon initiate the process to fill around 20,000 vacant posts at various departments. DEL30 UKD-PANT-CREMATION Mortal remain of Prakash Pant consigned to flames with full state honours Pithoragarh: The mortal remains of Uttarakhand minister Prakash Pant who lost his battle to cancer were consigned to flames here on Saturday with full state honours in the presence of Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Ramesh Pokhriyal..