British Indian's rat-infested home earns him hefty fine

A British Indian was fined for 14,000 pounds (around $23,600) for rat infestation and poor living conditions at his house in Britain, a media report said Tuesday.

Ranjeev Singh Sahota, 27, left his property in Wolverhampton in Britain's West Midlands in hazardous condition with dangerous wiring and rat infestation, risking life of the tenants, The Express & Star reported.

Wolverhampton magistrate's court fined Sahota 14,000 pounds and ordered him to pay 3,703 pounds costs and further 120 pounds of victim surcharge.

Bench chair Stephen Edwards described the case as "one of the worst I had ever seen".

Sahota failed to attend the hearing July 22, and was found guilty in his absence of breaching an Emergency Prohibition Order and failing to comply with an improvement notice.

"The property was in a dangerous state with numerous hazards. These were categorised by the council and sufficient warning was given to the defendant to put the property right. He chose not to do so. This was wilful not neglect. There was significant hazard and risk to the tenants to make these fines appropriate," the report quoted Edwards as saying.

The fine come as part of a Wolverhampton City Council crackdown on unsafe properties in the city.