The price surge for tomatoes has been more severe than anyone would have expected. Once a staple in every household, they suddenly became a luxury that not many are able to afford these days. This weird situation got crazier when a couple from Tamil Nadu faked an accident and hijacked a truck filled with 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes in Bengaluru. The accused couple was detained for tomato theft after this fictitious accident in Bengaluru, close to Chikkajala.
2.5 Tonnes Of Tomatoes Hijacked In Bengaluru
On July 8, the tomatoes were offered for sale in the nearby Tamil Nadu town of Vaniyambadi. The police claim that the Vellore-born couple were part of a gang of highway robbers. They demanded payment from the truck driver, Mallesh, claiming that the vehicle had collided with the truck and damaged it. He is a farmer from Hiriyur, in the Karnataka province of Chitradurga.
A PTI report claims that the farmer was asked to pay for the tomatoes while he was delivering them to Kolar. When he declined, the mob beat him up and stole the tomato-filled truck. After the victim later complained, the RMC Yard police tracked down the car and detained the gang. Bhaskar (age 28) and Sindhuja (age 26), the couple accused, were apprehended on Saturday. Mahesh, Kumar, and Rocky, the other two gang members, have not been located.
Also Read: Good News! Tomato Prices Expected To Reduce Due To New Crops From Maharashtra & MP
The Couple Chased The Tomato-Filled Truck
The gang of thieves allegedly spotted the truck carrying tomatoes and chased after it, according to a News Minute report. They stopped the truck, claimed their car had been slammed, and then attacked the farmer and the driver of a Bolero goods truck. The arrested couple then requested cash, which they ultimately received online. After transferring the money, they forced the farmer out of the delivery vehicle and then drove the tomato-laden truck towards Tamil Nadu.
Officials from the police department also found a CCTV clip that included data about the accused team. Prior to fleeing to Tamil Nadu in a different vehicle with no licence plates, the couple who allegedly traded the tomatoes parked the vehicle close to Peenya and Bengaluru.
This is not the first tomato theft incident since the massive tomato price upsurge.
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva