Couple Hijacks 2.5 Tonnes of Tomatoes in Bengaluru; Arrested

You know what everybody is talking about? Tomatoes, of course. This essential kitchen ingredient is making the rounds all over the news, and definitely not for good reasons. Tomato prices in different parts of the country range from Rs 150 to Rs 250 per kg. With these skyrocketing tomato prices, cases of tomato theft are also coming to the fore. Recently, a couple hijacked a truck loaded with 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes in Bengaluru. Yes, you read that right!

A couple from Vellore faked an accident and hijacked a truck carrying 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes. However, the accused couple were detained for the incident that took place in Bengaluru, near Chikkajala. The robbed tomatoes were sold in the nearby region of Vaniyambadi. As per police sources, the couple was part of a gang of highway robbers. The couple demanded money from the truck driver, namely Mallesh, while claiming that his truck collided with their vehicle and damaged it. When the driver refused, he was assaulted by the gang, and the truck loaded with tomatoes was driven away.

Video credits: Pakeezah Kitchen/YouTube

After the victim complained to the police, the RMC Yard police tracked down the car and detained the gang. The accused couple were then arrested. Besides, other gang members were also tracked until the last report. A few days ago as well, a similar case was reported in Halebeedu, Karnataka. In the incident, a woman claimed that tomatoes worth Rs 2.5 lakh were allegedly stolen from her farm. Not just in Karnataka, many Tomato theft cases have been reported in different parts of the country too.

On the one hand, the monsoon brought relief from the scorching heat, but it also brought the trouble of expensive tomatoes. Tomato crops have been damaged due to heavy rainfall in many regions, while some also blame the high fuel prices on transportation costs. Another reason for the high prices is the sudden rise in temperature in March and April that saw pest attacks on the production that led many growers to abandon their crops. Let us hope the situation gets back under control soon!