The Ambernath police have arrested Nisha Parab (35) for attempting to burn alive her step-daughter Archana (5) on Sunday night. Ramchandra Parab, Archana's father, had married Nisha after separating from Archana's mother three years ago. The Parabs had shifted to their Sakpale chawl residence barely a fortnight ago. Said neighbours, the step-mother would beat up Nisha at the slightest excuse. On Sunday, around 7:30 pm, Archana was playing with her ten-month-old step-sister Kirti, when the child fell down. Her howls brought Nisha running out. Without waiting for any explanations from Archana, she began beating her mercilessly.

Archana's call to the neighbours for help infuriated her step-mother so much that she dragged her into the house, doused her with kerosene and set her afire. The little girl suffered 70 per cent burns, she has been admitted to Kalyan Railway Hospital, where she is in a critical condition, said hospital authorities. The Ambernath police havearrested Nisha. The husband, however, has not been arrested as the police claim they have no proof that he was present at the scene of crime.

HIV AIDS testing centre

An HIV/AIDS Testing and counselling centre is being set up by the Mumbai West Suburban Branch of the Indian Medical association in collaboration with the Aids Research and Control Centre (ARCON), J J Hospital. ARCON is run by the Government of Maharashtra and University of Texas. The centre will be inaugurated by Deputy CM Gopinath Munde at 10 am on May 31. It will be located at the IMA Building, behind Chandan Cinema, J R Mhatre Marg, JVPD scheme. Testing and counselling will be carried out at subsidised rates.

Book clearance sale at BCL n THE British Council Library has organised a clearance sale of withdrawn books on June 1. Each book will be priced at Rs 30. The sale will display over 2,000 books on computers, fiction, art, management, medicine and social sciences and will be held at the library between 10 am and 4 pm. Bookswhich do not get sold will continue to be on sale between June 2 and 6 in the library seminar room from 10 am to 5.30 pm.

Meet to protest CET for MBBS

The Vidyarthi Palak Manch is holding a meeting of parents from all over Maharashtra to oppose the state government's decision to conduct a Common Entrance Test for MBBS and BDS courses. The meeting will be held at Nair hospital, Mumbai Central on May 31. Contact Dr Pradeep Kumbhat on 444033 or Dr Sudhir Ashar on 8986786.