Youth attack tomato farmer in Punganur, rob Rs 4.5 lakh cash

TIRUPATI: Unidentified youth attacked a tomato farmer and snatched away ₹4.5 lakh cash from him at Nakkabanda village in Punganur constituency on Wednesday night.

The farmer Loka Raj had sold his tomato crop in the Palamaner market. He had been returning home when the assailants, seemingly under the influence of ganja, assaulted the farmer with beer bottles and took away his cash.

Locals rushed him to a Punganur hospital, where he was treated and discharged. Police have registered a case.

This is not an isolated incident. Last month, a tomato farmer N. Rajasekhar Reddy was murdered by unknown assailants at Bodumalladinne village in Madanapalle mandal of Annamayya district. The farmer became a target after he received ₹30 lakhs when he sold his tomatoes in the local market yard.

In a related incident at Nekkundi village in Punganur mandal, thieves stole nearly 400 kilogrammes of tomatoes from a farm belonging to Uday Kumar. Similarly, culprits targeted a shop in Madanapalle and made off with 50 kg of tomatoes.

Tomato farmers have thus become wary about their and their crop’s safety in the region.