At a time when onion prices have skyrocketed to Rs 100 per kg, the staple caught the attention of thieves here who stole 250 kg of the bulb, worth Rs 25,000 in the early hours of Thursday.

The incident occurred outside a vegetable shop in the Palanpur Patiya area of Gujarat's Surat city in the early hours of the day, an employee of the shop said.

"As per our daily routine, we kept five sacks of onions, each weighing 50 kg, outside the shop on Wednesday night. However, for the first time, someone stole those onions worth Rs 25,000," Amit Kanojia, an employee of the vegetable vendor said.

The rise in onion prices may have triggered the theft, he said, adding that the shop vendor has not yet registered an FIR with the police. Onion prices in retail markets at major cities of Gujarat are fluctuating between Rs 90 to Rs 100.

The prices have been on the rise for the last one month due to supply disruption from flood-affected states like Maharashtra. There has been a steep increase in prices in the last few days due to heavy rains in the key onion-producing states.