The main accused in the March 30 killing of JMM loyalist Deepak Munda (35) in Adityapur was nabbed from Mango in Jamshedpur in the small hours of Tuesday, taking the arrest count to six and helping police plug remaining holes in the sand rivalry murder probe.

Krishna Gope (30), a resident of Manjhitola in Adityapur, was arrested from the house of a distant relative at Road 5 in Sankusai in Ulidih thana area of Mango around 1am based on a tip-off.

Adityapur thana OC Arvind Kumar said a loaded pistol was found on the man who is also an accused in the gun assault on Sujay Nandi (28), a building materials supplier, in Adityapur on April 30.

A gang of six had murdered Munda - a history-sheeter in police records but a Robin Hood for slum dwellers - near a tea stall in S-Type on Tata-Kandra road. The assailants, led by Gope, had first hurled nail bombs at Munda's SUV, rained bullets on him and later stabbed him, killing him on the spot.

Seraikela-Kharsawan SP Indrajeet Mahatha had set up a task force to crack the case. The team nabbed five aides of Gope while he managed to escape. Those arrested earlier were Pradeep Man, Vikas Kumar Singh, Rajiv Lohar, Rohit Kumar Mishra and Bapi Ray, all residents of Adityapur.

OC Kumar said Gope killed Munda because the latter looked after the sand business of trader Bobby Singh and would demand royalty from anyone who came to Saldih Ghat. "Munda and Gope twice had altercations over payment," the officer said.

Police records suggest that Deepak had criminal antecedents. He was accused in extortion and attempted murder cases, besides a few under the Arms Act.

In 2011, Deepak had given shelter to two CPI(Maoist) rebels in Saldih. Maoist leader Ravi Singh Munda was later killed in a police encounter at his house. However, Deepak was clean for the past five years and into serious business with Bobby.

After Munda's murder, Nandi had started looking after the sand business of Bobby. So, Gope launched an armed attack on him at Hatia bustee in Adityapur on April 30 evening, police sources said.

Nandi was shot at in the chest and abdomen. He was rushed to Tata Main Hospital and subsequently to Gurgaon-based Medanta where his gunshot wounds were taken care of. He is now recuperating at a Calcutta hospital.