'Tomato crimes' continue in India, truck full of pricey vegetable has been hijacked

La Tomatina is a big festival in Spain. But given the situation in India right now, if any Indian participates in this fest, he'd rather take some tomatoes home. Tomatoes are becoming a priced (and pricey!) commodity in India with some having to shell out Rs 200 (Roughly $2.5) just for a kilogramme.

As the prices started skyrocketting, bizarre tales started coming to light. A fresh tale has been added to the growing lore.

A gang of three has allegedly hijacked a truck laden with tomatoes. The police have said that the thieves 'hijacked' and fled with the truck after giving the incident a colour of road rage.

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It happened in Chikkajala in India's southern state of Karnataka. A farmer by the name of Mallesh, who hails from Chitradurga district, was transporting tomatoes on Saturday. The truck accidentally nudged a car and broke its rear-view mirror. The accused were travelling in this car.

An argument ensued during which the accused abused the farmer and the driver of the truck and reportedly demanded a huge amount of money as compensation. According to the police, both Mallesh and the driver did not have money and tried to negotiate with the accused.

The accused then allegedly took control of the truck forcefully and started driving it. They continued to demand money. On realising that the farmers do not have money, the accused pushed them out of the vehicle and sped away.

The truck reportedly contained 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes. It has been estimated that the total value of the cargo is Rs 200,000 to 300,000 (Roughly $2,500-3,500).

Not the first time

This is not the first case of crimes involving a lot of tomatoes!

Just last week, a farmer from Hasan District in Karnataka complained that tomatoes worth Rs 270,000 (roughly $3,000) were stolen.

In Rajasthan's Jaipur, miscreants reportedly stole 150 kg of tomatoes from a shop. The Economic Times reported that the theft took place in Jaipur's Mohana vegetable market. The incident has been caught on CCTV camera. The footage shows the criminals running away with six boxes full of tomatoes.

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Hameed, the shop owner, has reportedly chosen to not file a formal complaint. The issue of theft of tomatoes has been taken so seriously that the market's president Rahul Tanwar has issued a cautionary message to all shopkeepers. He has urged them to maintain vigilance and caution.

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