Bengaluru: A couple from neighbouring Tamil Nadu has been arrested for hijacking a truck laden with 2.5 tonnes of tomatoes here 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, a farmer from Hiriyur in Chitradurga district, at Chikkajala on July 8 and demanded compensation claiming that his truck had bumped into their car.

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 tomatoes worth over 2.5 lakhs.

Tomato prices have shot up to over Rs 100 per kg in markets across the country recently.

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.