Thane, March 7: A Navi Mumbai resident paid Rs 7 lakh as payment and penalty for stealing 34,465 units of electricity to keep his home air-conditioners running 24/7 for the comfort of his pedigreed dogs, officials said on Saturday.

The man, whose name was not revealed by state-run Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), has kept several foreign breed dogs as pets, they said.

"In order to keep these dogs in absolute comfort, he kept ACs at his home running all through the day at a particular temperature. We zeroed in on him after receiving a tip-off about power theft," said an official. Mumbai Auto-Rickshaw Driver Masturbates Looking at College Girl While Driving; Goregaon Police Comes to Rescue.

"We took action under section 135 (electricity theft) of the Electricity Act, 2003. He paid Rs 7 lakh as payment and penalty for stealing 34,465 units of power," the official said.