Onion thieves caught on tape, arrested for stealing 168 kg onions from vegetable vendors
The thieves stole 112 kg onions from Akbar Shaikh and 56 kg from Irfan Shaikh, both vegetable vendors in Dongri, on the intervening night of December 5-6 (screengrabs from the CCTV footage)
Mumbai Police have arrested two people who stole around 168 kg of onions, worth over Rs 21,000, from two vegetable vendors in the Dongri market.
The incident took place on the intervening night of December 5 and December 6, when vendors Akbar Shaikh and Irfan Shaikh had left sacks of unsold onions at their respective stalls.
When they returned the next day, they found the sacks missing. After efforts to trace the onions failed, they approached Dongri police station and filed a complaint.
According to the complaint, the thieves had stolen 112 kg onions from Akbar and 56 kg from Irfan. The onions were worth a little over Rs 21,000 per the current market rate.
“Mumbai police have registered a case of theft in Dongri police station under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Total 168 kg onions valued around Rs 21,160 (according to the FIR) were stolen,” police said in a statement.
While investigating the case, cops went through footage from a nearby CCTV camera that had caught the accused entering the stall and leaving with the onion sacks.
#WATCH Maharashtra: Police have arrested two men for stealing onions worth Rs 21,160 from two shops on December 5 in Dongri area of Mumbai. (CCTV footage) pic.twitter.com/keNxjbkFQ5
— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2019
With the aid of the surveillance footage, cops managed to identify and trace the accused – identified as Shabbir Shaikh (33) and Mohammed Imran Shaikh (22). Both accused were later arrested from their residence.
In a related note, onion prices have skyrocketed across the country amid scarcity. The Centre has blamed the late arrival of monsoon for the shortage and the subsequent price rise.
In Mumbai, onions have been retailing at a little over Rs 100/per kg for the last two weeks. However, in certain areas like Panaji in Goa, prices have touched a staggering Rs 165/per kg.
