Police arrested a couple from Vellore in neighbouring Tamil Nadu for allegedly hijacking a truck loaded with 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes in Karnataka. The suspects reportedly staged a fake accident to extort money from the victim.
The incident occurred on July 8 when the couple, identified as Bhaskar (28) and Sindhuja (26), along with their accomplices, who are still at large, targeted a farmer named Mallesh from Hiriyur in Chitradurga district. The gang intercepted Mallesh’s truck at Chikkajala and falsely claimed that his vehicle had collided with their car.
Upon demanding compensation for the purported damages, the gang resorted to violence when the farmer refused to comply. They assaulted Mallesh and forcibly removed him from the truck before making off with the vehicle, which was carrying tomatoes worth over 2.5 lakhs, destined for Kolar.
The farmer promptly reported the incident to the RMC Yard police, who initiated an investigation. Utilizing vehicle tracking methods, the authorities successfully located and arrested the aforementioned couple on Saturday.
Efforts to apprehend the remaining three suspects involved in the highway robbery are currently underway.