MP : Pricey onions catch thieves’ fancy

With the price of onions skyrocketing over the past few days, a trader claimed here on Thursday that his consignment of the bulb, worth Rs 20 to 22 lakh, has possibly been stolen.

Theft of onion! Something unheard of in the past is catching the fancy of the thieves when the onion prices are soaring.

The truck carrying 40 tons of onions, on the way from Nashik in Maharashtra to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, was found in Shivpuri district in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday.

The truck had left Nashik on November 11 and was supposed to reach Gorakpur on November 22, but it never reached its destination, said Prem Chand Shukla, a wholesaler who had shipped the consignment.

Shukla approached district Superintendent of Police Rajesh Singh Chandel, requesting him to look into the case. Onion prices are ruling in the region of Rs 100 per kg in Madhya Pradesh at present.

"We will register a case and arrest the culprits," the SP told reporters. The empty truck was found parked in Tendu police station area, he said, adding that the transporter was a local person.