Robbers Eye Pricey Onion, Thefts in Mumbai and Nasik

Amidst spiralling prices of onion, about 700 kg stock of the key kitchen staple that was worth Rs 50,000 was allegedly stolen from a shop in suburban Mumbai, informed the police.About 14 sacks of onion were stolen from a shop of vendor Anant Naik at Prateeksha Nagar in Wadala apparently between Friday night and Saturday morning, they said. "More than 700 kgs of onions got stolen," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni said.(This Will Make Your Eyes Tear: Onion Prices Soar by 70%, Highest in 2 Years!)Naik had left his shop on Friday night and was shocked to find the onion sacks missing when he reached there yesterday morning. The stolen onion stock was estimated to be worth Rs 50,000, police said. A case has been registered in this regard under IPC section 379 (theft) at Wadala TT police station, they added.In another case, robbers decamped with about 2,000 kilograms of onions from the godown of a Nashik farmer. Abasaheb Pawar, a farmer from Pimparkhed village in Nandgaon taluka, lodged a complaint claming that about 20 quintal stock of onions stored in his 'kanda chawl' was stolen.The wholesale onion prices touched Rs 57 per kg at Lasalgaon in Maharashtra, Asia's biggest onion market, raising the possibility of further spike in retail prices in most parts of the country adding to consumers' woes. In the price-sensitive Delhi market and some other parts of the country, retail onion prices have already gone up to Rs 80 per kg depending on the quality of the crop.(Ten of the Most Impressive Food Heists)In spite of several government measures, the prices of onion have increased unabated both in the wholesale and retail markets in the last few weeks due to tight supply following shortfall in domestic output. Also, the likely fall in this year's kharif (summer) crop due to deficit rainfall has further added to problem.