A couple from Tamil Nadu arrested after they pretended to be in an accident in order to rob a truck carrying 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes. The couple, from Vellore, and a member of a group of highway robbers, stopped Mallesh, a farmer from Hiriyur in Chitradurga district, on July 8 and demand compensation, claiming that his truck had collided with their vehicle.
The gang assaulted the farmer and pushed him out of the truck when he refused to pay them. After that, the gang drove away with the vehicle, loaded with 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes worth more than 2.5 lakhs.
The RMC Yard police followed the movement of the car and identified the gang after the farmer lodged a complaint against the gang. On Saturday, Bhaskar 28 and his wife Sindhuja 26 were arrested, while three other people are still on the run. Mallesh was being held up by the gang in Bengaluru while delivering tomatoes to Kolar.
The supply chain disruptions caused by monsoon rains and other related issues have led to a surge in tomato retail prices in various regions of the country.
Previously, Ajay Fauji, a supermarket owner and also a Samajwadi Party SP worker in Varanasi s Lanka area of Uttar Pradesh, hired two professional bodyguards to guard the tomatoes at his shop. He said he utilized the bouncers to stop buyers from getting aggressive while haggling over tomato prices.
The government has taken several steps to alleviate the burden of tomato prices on consumers and provide relief. Despite these efforts, tomato prices remain a concern for many people.