Opulence, Illusion, Secret Chambers: Conman Arrested For Multi-Crore Scam

Build the trust through wealth, stage legal formalities and then vanish after collecting crores, this is how a 45-year-old Mangaluru man conned several businessmen and industrialists.

All of his secret hideouts were revealed after Mangaluru Police went to his luxurious home for a raid.

In an operation that has stunned investigators, the police has now arrested Rohan Saldanha, who ran a multi-crore scam by luring businessmen and industrialists with the promise of large loans at incredibly low interest rates.

Saldanha would pose as a high-level financier and used his lavish bungalow in Mangaluru's Jappinamogaru to create an illusion of power, success, and trust.

Who Were His Targets

Ultra-rich individuals and entrepreneurs across districts and states.

What Was His Strategy

Saldanha would invite prospective clients to his luxurious home and office. Once the trust was built, he would offer to arrange loans for even 100 crores and more.

To make the operation look genuine, he would go a step further and introduced a fake lawyer with the name of a popular lawyer from the region and would make people speak to the lawyer for verification of documents and other legal formalities.

He would then ask the people to pay money for registration and stamp duty. This ran into crores and in some instances, he even took Rs 10 crore.

After collecting the money, Saldanha would disappear without a trace, leaving his victims shocked and defrauded.

Police, while searching his bungalow, uncovered more than just expensive interiors. His home included cleverly concealed sections and hideouts, a design seemingly intended to aid sudden disappearances and long stays out of public view. Officers said that the closets and wardrobes led to concealed areas, allowing him to remain undetected during critical times.

Investigators believe this setup allowed him to stall or evade suspicious clients, unexpected visitors, or even law enforcement, buying time to escape or cut contact.

Within just a few months, the accused is said to have executed fraudulent transactions worth Rs 40-50 crore. But over several years, the total estimated fraud could be much more.

So far, police has registered three official cases, two in Mangaluru and one in Chitradurga against him. Authorities suspect there might be several more victims who haven't yet reported the fraud due to embarrassment or fear.

Following a complaint by one of the victims, Mangaluru Police arrested Rohan Saldanha and are now expanding their investigation to trace the full scale of his operations. The police is also probing potential accomplices and are urging others who were duped to come forward.

Trending News