Representative image of a police van
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Mangaluru: The CEN police are currently verifying the financial transactions of Roshan Saldanha, who has been accused in multiple multi-crore cheating cases.
During the investigation, it was found that over the past three years, transactions worth more than Rs 40 crore were conducted through one of the bank accounts linked to the accused. The police are now examining additional transactions to determine the total amount of money involved, according to police sources.
City Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH said, “Economic offences like this take time to reach a conclusion. The police are investigating various aspects of the case. We will seek custody of the accused to continue interrogation as part of the ongoing investigation.”
The arrest was made following two complaints in which individuals alleged they had been duped of approximately Rs 11 crore (Rs 10 cr from an individual, and Rs 1 crore from another) by Saldanha.
In another case from Chitradurga, a victim reported losing around Rs 45 lakh. After news of the arrest broke, a man from Maharashtra came forward to file a complaint, claiming a loss of Rs 2.5 crore. He also alleged that another individual from Kerala had lost Rs 15 lakh, and that person is expected to file a complaint as well.
The police, who were investigating two FIRs registered against Saldanha, received credible information that he was hiding in his house and conducted a raid accordingly.
Sources revealed that Saldanha operated with the help of several “teams” across India, creating the illusion of being a high-profile entrepreneur with access to substantial loans and real estate opportunities. These teams acted as brokers, luring entrepreneurs in need of loans and were paid commissions for their role. Initially, Saldanha is believed to have been associated with a team in Chitradurga before branching out independently.
Hailing from a modest background, Saldanha allegedly became involved with a group engaged in similar fraudulent activities and worked for them for some time, sources said.
During the raid, a foreign national woman was found in the house while Saldanha was discovered hiding in a secret chamber. The woman has been sent to a Sweekara Kendra , and her documents, including her passport, are being verified. Although Saldanha was initially not seen, the presence of a liquor glass on a teapoy in one of the rooms raised police suspicion, prompting a thorough search that led to his discovery in the hidden chambers.
In fact, he had misused the name of a well known leading high court advocate from the region in his visiting card and claimed to be his legal advisor. His residence was located on the ground floor, while his office — which featured lavish rooms, two bedrooms, and secret chambers — was on the first floor with a separate entrance from outside.
Saldanha was known for his extravagant lifestyle and police estimate that he spent at least Rs 50 lakh furnishing a single room, according to police sources.