Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, July 17: In a dramatic midnight crackdown, Mangaluru City Police arrested Rohan Saldanha, a multi-crore fraudster from Jepinamogaru, accused of swindling crores of rupees from wealthy businessmen through a sophisticated web of fake loan and land deals.

The operation, led by City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy and ACP Ravish Nayak, culminated in a raid on Saldanha’s luxurious home — a property that turned out to be as deceptive as the man himself, filled with hidden chambers, secret stairways, and extravagant decor.

Rs 500-crore loan offers that led to ruin

Saldanha lured his victims with grand promises — offering to provide business loans of up to Rs 500 crore and high-value property deals. In exchange, he demanded advance payments ranging from Rs 50 lac to Rs 4 crore, citing reasons like processing fees, commissions, or stamp duties.

Once he received the money, he would disappear without a trace, cutting off communication completely.

Initial investigations revealed that in just three months, one of his bank accounts recorded transactions exceeding Rs 40 crore. Authorities suspect this is only the tip of the iceberg, with many more unaccounted-for funds and victims yet to be identified.

The house of illusions: Luxury meets secrecy

Police were stunned by the grandeur and cunning design of Saldanha’s residence. Far from a regular home, the mansion was a fortress of illusion — luxurious on the surface, but hiding layers of deception beneath.

Inside, officers discovered:

• Rare decorative plants worth Rs 3 to Rs 5 lac each

• A lavish stockpile of vintage champagnes and exotic alcoholic beverages

• Hidden doors and secret rooms masked as cupboards and walls

• Multiple CCTV cameras installed to track anyone approaching the house

• Escape routes allowing Saldanha to vanish into concealed chambers within seconds

According to police, when someone arrived at his home demanding repayment or land documents, Saldanha would monitor them on CCTV and slip into a secret room directly from his bedroom, avoiding all confrontation.

Some doors were activated by pressing seemingly normal surfaces, leading to underground passages or concealed staircases — features that gave the house an almost cinematic feel.

A web of deceit

Saldanha often impressed his targets by showing them lavish properties worth hundreds of crores, claiming he had access to financing networks capable of delivering Rs 400–600 crore loans. The scam worked by extracting initial payments under legal pretexts, after which he would sever all contact.

The police are now investigating how he managed to operate such a high-scale con, maintain such luxury, and evade detection for so long. They are also probing possible links to financial crimes, including money laundering.

The case so far

A formal case has been registered and a full-scale investigation is underway. Authorities have urged potential victims who may have been duped by Saldanha to come forward with information.

“This is one of the most sophisticated financial scams we've seen in the region. The accused not only lived in unimaginable luxury but constructed a virtual maze to avoid the law,” said an officer close to the investigation.