Indian-origin man, selling booze to child in Britain, fined

An Indian-origin owner of a convenience store in Britain, who was caught selling alcohol to a child, has been slapped a $560 fine after pleading guilty.

Gurmeet Singh Arora, 29, owner of the Quality Supermarket store in Leicester was caught selling booze to an undercover child volunteer during an operation, reported The Rugby & Lutterworth Observer, a local weekly newspaper.

The operation was carried out by the Trading Standards, the departments of British government which investigates commercial organisations trading outside the law or in unethical ways.

Arora has been also ordered to pay costs of £704.89(about $1,130) and a victim surcharge of £35.

Arora had been previously convicted by Leicestershire Trading Standards for the same offence. This is his second conviction.

"Underage drinking is both a cause of anti-social behaviour in our communities and can have a damaging impact on the health of young people," said Janet Faulkner, head of Warwickshire Trading Standards.

Arora, however, maintained before the court that he was not present at the time of selling liquor to the underage. Later he told the magistrate that he was now aware of all age-restricted products and his responsibilities.