Conman who cheated several businessmen to the tune of crores arrested in Mangaluru

MANGALURU: The Mangaluru city police have unearthed a multi-crore fraud with the arrest of Roshan (Rohan) Saldanha, who posed as a high-flying businessman and cheated several businessmen to the tune of several crores.

The police, led by commissioner Sudhir Kumar Reddy, raided Rohan Sanldanha’s upscale residence at Jeppinamogaru on Thursday night and arrested him. He allegedly promised businessmen and high net worth individuals of loans ranging between Rs 50 crore 100 crore and would take 5 per cent to 10 per cent advance claiming that it was towards stamp duty.

He would also promise high returns on investments. In this manner, he had cheated people to the tune of Rs 200 crore over the last few years, it is alleged. He was arrested based on a complaint by a Andhra Pradesh businessman.

The businessman, who runs a silk saree unit, was looking for loans to expand his business. In 2023, he contacted Vimalesh Hattikonda, who runs a finance consultancy in Bengaluru. Vimalesh, in turn, assured him that Sai Finance in Chitradurga, where Roshan Saldanha was managing director, would give him the required loans.

In November 2023, the businessman visted Sai Finance on Fort Road in Chitradurga. Rohan assured that the loan would be sanctioned and convinced him to pay Rs 39,20,000 towards 80 stamp papers of Rs 45,000 value. The businessman paid Rs 40 lakh on the assurance that the loan would be sanctioned in 15 days, but Rohan escaped.

On July 16 this year, the businessman lodged a complaint with the Chitradurga town police which was later transferred to Mangaluru. Along with Rohan, the police have also arrested Vimalesh Hattikonda.

A secret passage from one of the bedrooms led to a hideout.

In just three months, Rohan Saldanha is said to have cheated people of Rs 45 crore. As soon as he got the initial payment, he would avoid the investors and not take their calls. He also had agents in major cities across the country and would invite businessmen to his lavish house. Taken by the opulence and his smooth talking, the businessmen would pay for loans or invest with him, police said.

Roshan had a mini bar at his house and even some Malaysian women. One of the rooms led to a secret passage and the entire house was covered by CCTV cameras. He was arrested from the hideout on Thursday nigh. The house also has a remote-controlled gate measuring 10 feet in height. Whenever an investor came to his house to seek return of the money, he would spot them on CCTV screens and escape.

The police uncovered Rs 40 crore in his bank accounts. He had also invested in various businesses in his and his wife’s names. His wife and child are living in Chennai. Just last month, he had invested Rs 10 crore for manufacture of fishing boats.

Roshan was earlier working in Mumbai and took to cheating since 2016. Though a Christian, he had a photo of Neem Karoli Baba in his house and would convince businessmen that he was a devotee of the saint.