BENGALURU: As the tomato prices are on rise in the country, the couple has been arrested in Bengaluru for hijacking a truck loaded with the priced vegetable after faking an accident.

According to the report in PTI, a couple hailing from Tamil Nadu hijacked a truck with 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes in Bengaluru after faking an accident to extort money.

The couple from Vellore, according to police, was part of a gang of highway robbers, that intercepted Mallesh from Hiriyur in Chitradurga district, at Chikkajala on July 8 and demanded compensation claiming that his truck had bumped into their car, the report said.

It added when the farmer refused to pay them, the gang assaulted and pushed him out of the truck before driving away with the vehicle loaded with 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes worth over 2.5 lakhs on July 8.

Based on the complaint lodged by the farmer, the RMC Yard police tracked the movement of the vehicle and zeroed in on the gang.

Bhaskar, 28, and his wife Sindhuja, 26,-- were arrested on Saturday while three others are still on the run, they said.

Mallesh was transporting tomatoes to Kolar when he was waylaid by the gang in Bengaluru.