Unidentified people wearing masks who arrived in a car allegedly assaulted a fish vendor before fleeing with Rs 2.15 lakh, on NH 66 at Adamkudru, on Saturday morning.
The injured is Mustafa (45) from Mukkacheri in Ullal.
City Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar said enmity is suspected to be the reason for the attack and people who attacked him were conversing in Beary language.
Mustafa is recuperating in a hospital in Thokkottu.
In a complaint, Mustafa said that the incident occurred when he was travelling to Mangaluru fisheries harbour to collect fish in his tempo. Moosa from Mastikatte was accompanying him.
When the tempo reached Adamkudru, a car waylaid him. Three masked men who alighted from the car demanded the cash bag from him. When he refused, they tried to assault him with a lethal weapon.
Mustafa said that he held the weapon in his hand when they tried to wield it on him.
ACP Dinakar Shetty visited the spot. A case has been registered at Kankanady Town Police Station.