In a shocking incident that unfolded recently, a farmer transporting a truckload of tomatoes was left devastated after a collision with a car led to an unfortunate chain of events. A gang of three individuals took advantage of the situation and hijacked the truck, leaving the hardworking farmer in distress.

The incident occurred in the Chikkajala area, when a collision between the farmer's truck and a car caused damage to the car's window. Instead of handling the situation with empathy, the occupants of the car resorted to extortion tactics. Realizing that the farmer, identified as Mallesh, was unable to compensate them for the car's broken mirror, the gang coerced him to pay or face the consequences.

When the gang failed to extract money from Mallesh, they forcibly drove away with the truck, which was laden with approximately 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes. The stolen tomato cargo, valued between Rs 2.5 to 3 lakh, represented a significant loss for Mallesh and his companion, Shivanna, both hardworking farmers from Renukapura in Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district.

Mallesh narrated the traumatic experience, stating, "We have not done anything wrong. The occupants of the car created a ruckus and intentionally caused our van to crash into their car. They forced us to pay or face consequences. One of them boarded our van and directed us to drive to KR Puram, where they asked us to alight and proclaimed that they would repair the car with the money they would earn by selling the tomatoes."

After the shocking incident, Mallesh and Shivanna contacted the vehicle's owner, who advised them to take immediate action. Following their owner's suggestion, they lodged a complaint with the RMC yard police station, sharing the details of their traumatic experience. Deputy Commissioner of Police for North Division, Shivaprakash Devaraj, expressed the gravity of the situation, highlighting that the miscreants' motives were centered around extorting money from the innocent farmers and not steal the tomatoes.

This incident sheds light on the disturbing trend of agricultural commodity theft, particularly tomatoes, which have witnessed a surge in demand and subsequently skyrocketing prices. Farmers across the country have become targets of such thefts, adding further challenges to their already arduous livelihoods.

In a separate incident, thieves in Mandya district destroyed crops and made off with tomatoes worth Rs 1.5 lakh. Similar cases have been reported, including a farmer from Hasan District in Karnataka who reported the theft of tomatoes worth Rs 2.7 lakh. In Jaipur, miscreants were caught on CCTV stealing 150 kg of tomatoes from a shop in the Mohana vegetable market. The surge in tomato prices has created a significant demand-supply gap, driving criminals to target these valuable commodities.