Mangaluru multi-crore fraud: Four cases against Roshan Saldanha transferred to CID for probe

Mangaluru multi-crore fraud: Four cases against Roshan Saldanha transferred to CID for probe

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 15, 2025: The Karnataka Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP) has ordered the transfer of four major criminal cases against alleged multi-crore fraudster Roshan Saldanha of Mangaluru to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for a detailed probe. The directive was issued on August 13.

Two of the cases—Crime Nos. 22/2025 and 40/2025—were registered at the CEN police station under Sections 111, 316(2), 316(5), 318(2), 318(3) read with Sections 3(5) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The other two—Crime Nos. 109/2025 and 115/2025—were lodged at Kankanady police station under Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of the same code. All are linked to Saldanha’s alleged high-value loan and land fraud racket, with estimated sums ranging from ₹10 crore to over ₹200 crore.

Saldanha, 43, a resident of Bollagudda, Bajal, was arrested in July after police raided his “Bollywood-style” mansion, uncovering hidden chambers, staged luxury decor, and fake legal setups allegedly used to lure and cheat prominent businessmen. Officers froze ₹3.7 crore and found evidence of money trails involving victims from Maharashtra and Assam.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also stepped in, conducting raids at five Mangaluru locations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency seized documents, froze bank assets worth ₹3.8 crore, and traced ₹5.8 crore spent on fishing boats purchased in the name of Saldanha’s wife, Dafney Neethu D’Souza.

The DG & IGP has directed the Mangaluru City Police Commissioner to transfer all related case files and investigating officers to the CID, which must submit its findings upon completion. The move underscores the expanding scope of the investigation and the need for specialised efforts to dismantle what authorities describe as a sophisticated, multi-state fraud network.