The Mangaluru police have finally arrested one of the region’s most elusive conmen, Rohan Saldanha (45), who is accused of defrauding unsuspecting businessmen of over Rs 200 crore under the guise of arranging large loans. Rohan, who lived a lavish life at a plush bungalow in Jappinamogaru, Mangaluru, was nabbed on July 17, night in a dramatic operation while he was hosting a private party with Malaysian women at his residence.
The arrest came almost a year after a determined Andhra Pradesh businessman, who runs a silk saree manufacturing company, refused to accept his losses quietly and relentlessly pursued legal action. According to police, the businessman first fell into Rohan’s trap in 2023 while seeking a substantial loan to expand his business. He had approached Vimalesh, a finance consultant based in Bengaluru, for help. Vimalesh then introduced him to Rohan Saldanha, who posed as a high-flying loan facilitator with powerful connections in the finance and land deal sectors.
Rohan demanded Rs 40 lakh from the businessman for “stamp paper charges” to process the huge loan, promising a swift disbursal. But within 15 days of receiving the money, Rohan vanished without a trace. When the businessman realised he had been duped, he complained to the Chitradurga Nagar police station on July 16 of the previous year. While police initially arrested Vimalesh, who acted as the middleman, the main mastermind, Rohan, has continued to live in luxury to this day.
Police sources say Rohan’s strategy was always the same: target high-net-worth individuals and ambitious entrepreneurs from different states, win their trust with flashy promises, and lure them with dreams of massive loans. He used his extravagant Jappinamogaru bungalow — lavishly furnished, stocked with imported liquor, and frequented by foreign women — as a bait to showcase his supposed financial muscle.
His victims, charmed by the parties, the grandeur and his smooth talk, would hand over crores in “processing fees” or “commissions”, hoping to secure easy credit. Once the money changed hands, Rohan would cut all contact, leaving the victims helpless and embarrassed to come forward publicly.
A police officer involved in the operation said, “He was a master manipulator. He knew how to make wealthy people trust him. He created an aura of influence and exclusivity.”
Adding another layer to his elaborate deceit, police discovered that Rohan, though a Christian by faith, displayed photos of Neem Karoli Baba, a revered Hindu guru from Uttar Pradesh, in his office and living room. Investigators believe he used this to gain credibility among North Indian businessmen and convince them that he was a devout follower of Baba — known to be an incarnation of Lord Hanuman — which made him appear trustworthy in religious circles.
“It appears he exploited religious sentiments to trick multi-crore businessmen. There are reports that he would claim to keep a special ‘holy vessel’ said to be blessed by Baba, to make people believe his money dealings were pure and divinely protected,” an officer added.
When police raided his luxurious residence on Thursday night, they found multiple foreign women staying in guest rooms, imported liquor stocked in refrigerators and cupboards, and a secret hidden room which Rohan allegedly used to evade law enforcement.
Rohan’s flamboyant lifestyle and the disturbing ease with which he built a network of victims across state borders have exposed yet again how con artists cleverly exploit loopholes in financial regulation and the blind trust of people chasing easy money.
Police believe there could be dozens more victims, including influential businessmen, across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and North India, who may have been too embarrassed to come forward so far. The Mangaluru police have appealed to such victims to file formal complaints.
Meanwhile, the arrest has also raised questions about how Rohan managed to evade the law for years despite several complaints and a growing trail of victims. His arrest has come as a huge relief to defrauded entrepreneurs. Still, it has also sparked debates about the urgent need for stricter background checks and due diligence before businessmen fall for promises of easy loans.
