Ranchi, Nov. 26: A cattle trader was robbed of hefty cash, and reportedly knifed and shot at when he offered resistance, in Mandar, 40km from the capital, this morning, a day after the DGP held a marathon meeting on crime control.

Shahid Ansari (45), who was wounded but not by bullets that were fired in the air, was first rushed to a health centre in Mandar and later shifted to a hospital on Ratu Road. He is out of danger.

According to sources at Mandar police station, the incident took place on an isolated stretch in Naro, 3km from Ansari's Kanijari village home, around 7.15am when the trader was returning from Calcutta after collecting Rs 8.70 lakh from his clients.

"The trader had boarded a Ranchi-bound train and got down at Tangarbasli halt, 10km from his village. He asked his son to pick him up. Father-son duo were biking their way home when four men on two bikes intercepted them and snatched away the bag of money," said a policeman.

Since they were not very far from Kanijari, Ansari decided to chase the snatchers, all aged around 30 years. To get him off their tail, the gang fired in the air and reportedly struck the trader with a knife.

Rural SP Rajkumar Lakra confirmed the incident. "The snatchers had fired, but no bullet hit the trader. We are close to cracking the case. Police have gathered vital details on the four suspects," he said.

Mandar OC Ramnarayan Singh said they had recorded the statement of Ansari's son and would lodge an FIR once the trader gave his version of the incident. "The snatchers were aware of the cash in the bag, which suggests they are local residents," he added.