Mangaluru: In a high-stakes midnight operation, Mangaluru police apprehended Rohan Saldanha of Jepinamogaru — the mastermind behind an elaborate financial racket involving fraudulent land and loan schemes that duped affluent businessmen out of crores.
The operation, spearheaded by Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy and ACP Ravish Nayak, led to a raid on Saldanha’s opulent mansion, which was more of a labyrinth than a residence — complete with disguised exits, hidden chambers, and extravagant interiors.
Deals Too Grand to Be True
Saldanha promised business loans up to Rs 500 crore and high-value property deals, demanding upfront payments between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 4 crore for fictitious charges like processing fees or commissions. Once the money changed hands, he cut all contact.
Investigators found over Rs 40 crore transacted through just one of his accounts in three months, with many more unreported victims now surfacing.
Luxury Masking Deceit
The mansion itself was a fortress of trickery — filled with rare plants worth lakhs, vintage liquors, secret passageways behind walls and cupboards, and an extensive surveillance system. Escape routes allowed him to vanish into hidden rooms within seconds, avoiding confrontation from creditors.
A Trail of Lies
Victims were shown lavish properties and lured with promises of massive loans backed by nonexistent financial networks. Now, police are probing deeper links to possible laundering operations and other financial crimes.