In the time of the coronavirus, smokers seem to be worrying less and less about what they consume: whether it's cigarettes or the cheaper beedis. Anything that's available during the lockdown will do.
As illegally-operating shops run out of cigarette stocks, it's now the humble beedi that's getting the smokers hooked and they are ready to fork out double the price. Kengeri police recently seized over 30 beedi packs from a grocer's on Uttarahalli Main Road.
A policeman went to Manoj Provision Store in the guise of a customer and bought beedi and cigarettes. Other policemen then raided the shop and arrested the owner, Nagesh Babu (52).
Police seized 10 packs of '100 Beedi', 20 packs of 'SK Beedi', two packs of 'Niyo King Beedi', one pack of 'Arjun Beedi', two packs each of Marlboro, Win and Mond cigarettes and several packs of Swagat chewing tobacco and Madhu and Vimal paan masala. Babu told the police he had almost run out of cigarettes.