A daylight robbery in Jamshedpur was nipped in the bud when police arrested the mastermind with a loaded pistol in Golmuri minutes before the daring strike on Dimna Road in Mango on Friday.

The prompt action, following a tip-off, is said to have saved 30-odd steel city transporters a total sum of Rs 20 lakh, which a courier boy hired by them was carrying to the bank while he was being targeted.

The arrested kingpin of the four-member gang has been identified as Uttar Pradesh native Jitendra Singh. The 28-year-old man has been staying on rent in a house on Road 9 in Agrico, under Sidhgora police station area, for a year. Police are probing a nexus between Jitendra's gang and an unscrupulous transporter who may be involved in the conspiracy.

City DSP Animesh Nathani said police received a tip-off about four men "planning something suspicious" near Circus Maidan in Golmuri around noon. "A team led by Golmuri thana OC Satyendra Kumar Singh rushed to the spot around 12.30pm. At the sight of police, Jitendra's aides ran away, but he was caught. Upon frisking, a loaded pistol was found on him," Nathani said.

During interrogation, the gang leader is known to have revealed names and address of his associates, but the DSP declined to divulge details for the sake of investigations.

"The gang was planning to rob a courier boy who collects cash from transport company offices at Transport Nagar in Mango and deposits it in the bank. The boy had over Rs 20 lakh in his haversack today (Friday)," the DSP said.

On being quizzed, Jitendra told police that they had been keeping tabs on the boy for sometime. "The gang knew he casually carried hefty cash in his haversack to avoid drawing the attention of snatchers. The plan was to rob the boy on Dimna Road in Mango while he would be on his way to a commercial bank in Bistupur," Nathani said.

In the wake of serial snatchings in the steel city, transporters had unanimously agreed to offload the work of carrying cash from their offices in Mango to banks in Bistupur and Sakchi on courier boys with bikes. These individuals are usually known faces in the transport business and are paid on a monthly basis.

The DSP said police interrogation was pointing the needle of suspicion towards a transporter who was hand in glove with the gang. "One of the businessmen living in an apartment near Dimna Chowk knew Jitendra well. We are trying to find out if that man compromised the courier boy's safety."

Guise robber at TMH

Main accused in the twin guise gang cases in New Baradwari and Sonari, Tinplate employee Raju George (40) was admitted to Tata Main Hospital (TMH) on Thursday night following breathing trouble.

The robbery mastermind, arrested from Ranchi on Monday, may be sent to Ghaghidih Central Jail on Saturday if his asthma problem subsides, police sources said. Raju's aide Nirmal Kumar Serafin was sent to jail on Friday.

So far, three persons have been arrested while three others are on the run.