The Mangaluru city police Tuesday transferred one of the cases against businessman Rohan Saldanha, who is accused of cheating hundreds of crores of rupees from wealthy entrepreneurs in Karnataka and other states, to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The case, which was initially registered at the CEN police station, involves allegations of cheating a businessman from Bihar of more than Rs 10 crore in a fraudulent land transaction. According to current regulations, fraud cases involving amounts of Rs 10 crore or more are transferred to the CID for special investigation.
Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Police Commissioner, told media that while this particular case moves to CID, other complaints against Saldanha filed at the CEN station will continue under local police investigation.
The Mangaluru city police arrested Saldanha from his house Friday and found hidden chambers, secret stairways, a luxury mini-bar, and multiple CCTV cameras installed to track anyone approaching the property.
Since Saldanha’s arrest, multiple complaints have been filed across states against him. A Hyderabad resident filed a fresh complaint claiming he was defrauded of Rs 1 crore, leading to another FIR at the CEN police station. Other cases include alleged cheating of businessmen from Maharashtra (Rs 5 crore), Assam (Rs 20 crore), and Andhra Pradesh (Rs 40 lakh), with the latter registered at the Chitradurga town police station.
Authorities have uncovered bank accounts linked to Saldanha showing transactions exceeding Rs 50 crore. The police are currently scrutinising these financial records to identify more potential victims and trace the money trail.
Commissioner Reddy announced that police are preparing documentation to request Saldanha’s custody for further interrogation. A petition will be submitted to a court Wednesday seeking police custody to advance the investigation, he said.
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After his arrest, the police said that Saldanha targeted affluent people by promising business loans worth up to Rs 500 crore and real estate investment opportunities. His modus operandi, they said, involved collecting advance payments between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 4 crore on the pretext of processing fees and legal clearances. After receiving the amount, Saldanha would allegedly vanish, leaving the victims stranded, the police said.