Posing as wealthy businessman, Mangaluru conman steals crores from ultra-rich
What's the story
In a dramatic midnight operation, the Mangaluru City Police arrested Rohan Saldanha, a conman from Jepinamogaru, for allegedly defrauding the rich of crores of rupees through elaborate fake loan and land deals. The arrest was made after a raid at his opulent residence, which was found to be filled with hidden rooms and secret exits. The operation was led by Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy and Assistant Commissioner of Police Ravish Nayak.
Scam details
Conman duped businessmen with fake loan, real estate deals
Police believe Saldanha's scam could be worth up to ₹500 crore. Posing as a wealthy businessman, he would first build connections with ultra-rich individuals and entrepreneurs. Saldanha would then invite the potential clients to his fancy home and office. Once he earned their trust, victims were asked to pay advance amounts between ₹50 lakh and ₹4 crore for processing fees and legal clearances, per India Today. After he receives the payments, Saldanha would cut off all communication and vanish.
Twitter Post
Visuals from inside his house
#WATCH | Karnataka | Police conducted a raid at the residence of fraudster Rohan Saldana and detained him, late last night in Mangaluru pic.twitter.com/Wy02JnRm2W
— ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025
Mansion secrets
Hidden rooms, secret exits in Saldanha's mansion
The raid on Saldanha's mansion revealed how he had ingeniously preplanned the scam. Inside his house, police found a maze of secret chambers and hidden doors, rare ornamental plants worth ₹3-5 lakh each, and a personal collection of vintage champagne and exotic liquors. The entire property was under surveillance with high-definition cameras covering every part. Hidden exits and escape routes were discovered, allowing Saldanha to avoid confrontations with creditors and law enforcement officials.
Fraud scale
How Saldanha lured his victims
To make the operation look genuine, he would introduce his victims to a fake lawyer using the name of a popular lawyer from the region. He would then make people speak to the lawyer for verification of documents and other legal formalities. One of his bank accounts recorded transactions over ₹40 crore in three months, indicating the fraud's true scale could be much larger than known.
Victim outreach
Police suspect more people may have been scammed
So far, three official cases have been registered against Saldanha. The police believe many more may have fallen victim to his scam but are hesitant to come forward due to embarrassment or fear of reputational damage. Mangaluru City Police have appealed to other possible victims to come forward. Investigators are probing potential links between Saldanha's operations and larger financial crimes, including money laundering.