Tomato Truck Heist: Couple sold stolen tomatoes for Rs 1.6 Lakh, arrested

The recent “tomato robbery” that had left Bangalore in a state of intrigue has finally been solved. The culprits behind the daring act turned out to be an unlikely pair: a husband and wife, now under arrest for their involvement in the hijacking of a truck loaded with tomatoes. The accused, identified as M Bhaskaran (38) and Sindhuja (35), took the stolen tomatoes to Tamil Nadu, where they managed to sell the entire load for a staggering sum of Rs 1.6 lakh. The incident occurred on the night of July 8 when the truck driver, Shivanna, reached the RMC Yard police station to complain about the theft. Shivanna recounted that unidentified individuals forcibly took control of his mini-goods vehicle, which was carrying an ample 210 trays of tomatoes that were destined for delivery from Hiriyur in Chitradurga to Kolar. The miscreants engaged in a heated argument with Shivanna, alleging that his vehicle had collided with their Mahindra Xylo near the Goraguntepalya junction. In a brazen attempt to extort compensation, they demanded a staggering Rs 50,000 on the spot. When Shivanna refused to comply, the daring thieves resorted to their next course of action – driving away with the tomato-laden truck. At first, the police suspected the incident to be a result of road rage. Consequently, an extensive manhunt was initiated, and CCTV footage was analyzed to identify the vehicle and suspects involved. As the investigation progressed, the police discovered that the hijackers had taken the stolen truck all the way to Vaniyambadi in Tamil Nadu. To evade detection, they had craftily tampered with their own vehicle’s number plate. The thieves, however, forgot to alter the number plate of the stolen truck, which was conspicuously towing the Mahindra Xylo. This led the police nab the culprits. According to police, they combed through more than 200 CCTV recordings and engage with local communities in various parts of Tamil Nadu before successfully closing in on the suspects. Police, meanwhile are on the lookout for two more individuals, Kumar and Mahesh from Bengaluru, who are believed to have assisted Bhaskaran in his nefarious activities. It has also come to light that Bhaskaran is a seasoned criminal with a history of ten cases registered against him, including robbery, theft, and house burglary in various places across Tamil Nadu.