Secret chambers, luxury bar, and a ₹200 crore scam: Inside Rohan Saldanha’s Mangaluru house

Rohan Saldanha, arrested by the Mangaluru City Police, is accused of cheating businessmen across Karnataka and several other states.

What started as a routine arrest in a cheating case took a shocking turn in Mangaluru on Friday, when police discovered secret rooms, concealed chambers, and high-end luxuries inside the home of a 43-year-old man accused in a multi-crore fraud case, Indian Express reported.

Rohan Saldanha, posed as a high-flying businessman, promised fake business loans of up to ₹500 crore and high-return real estate investments.

Rohan Saldanha, arrested by the Mangaluru City Police, is accused of cheating businessmen across Karnataka and several other states out of hundreds of crores by posing as a high-profile financier. But it wasn’t just his alleged scams that stunned authorities, it was his carefully crafted hideout.

According to the Indian Express report, the raid, led by ACP Ravish Nayak, revealed hidden chambers tucked behind cupboards, underground passageways, and a secret staircase, all masked behind what appeared to be a regular residence. The house also featured a luxury mini-bar, rare exotic liquor, ornamental plants worth up to ₹5 lakh each, and an elaborate CCTV network tracking every movement near the property, the report added.

According to police, Saldanha’s fraud involved luring wealthy individuals with promises of business loans of up to ₹500 crore and lucrative real estate deals. Victims were asked to pay advance amounts ranging between ₹50 lakh and ₹4 crore, supposedly to cover processing fees and legal documentation, only for Saldanha to disappear soon after with the money, the report added.

One of his bank accounts alone handled over ₹40 crore in just three months, police said.

Saldanha’s flair for luxury and illusion was all part of a calculated plan. He allegedly dazzled potential victims across India by flaunting wealth, staging high-end living, and claiming access to powerful connections capable of arranging loans up to ₹600 crore.

Authorities have linked Saldanha to cheating cases filed in at least 13 cities, including Bengaluru, Goa, Mangaluru, Chitradurga, Pune, Vijayapura, Tumakuru, Kolkata, Sangli, Lucknow, and Bagalkot.

₹200 crore fraud

During the raid, police seized 667 grams of gold jewellery, a diamond ring worth ₹2.75 crore, blank cheques, Indian and foreign liquor valued at ₹6.7 lakh, breaching permissible limits.

An officer involved in the case said initial estimates suggest the total amount Saldanha defrauded could be over ₹200 crore, with investigations ongoing to trace the full scale of the racket.