Mangaluru: Man sentenced to 3 years for cheating trio with house construction promise

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 1, 2026: The Mangaluru Second Additional District and Sessions (Special) Court has sentenced Ciprian D’Souza in a case involving cheating three people after allegedly promising to construct houses for them, and directed him to pay a fine of Rs 15.60 lakh.

The court ordered that if D’Souza fails to pay the fine, he must undergo three years of simple imprisonment.

According to the case, D’Souza had promised to construct 1,250-square-foot houses for Jayanth Naik, Manoj and Vasudev. The total cost for the land and house was fixed at Rs 30 lakh. An agreement was executed on June 28, 2017, under which he promised to complete the construction within a year and collected advance payments from the three.

However, the houses were not constructed within the promised period. When the three questioned him, D’Souza reportedly assured them that their advance amounts would be returned, but allegedly failed to repay the money.

On January 20, 2021, the three went to D’Souza’s residence at Mithabail in Puthige village to demand repayment. He allegedly became angry and abused them using caste-based slurs in a public place.

A case was registered at Moodbidri Police Station under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Then Assistant Commissioner of Police S. Mahesh Kumar had filed the charge sheet.

Of the 19 witnesses listed in the case, 13 were examined during the trial. Judge Jagadish V.N. of the Mangaluru Second Additional District and Sessions (Special) Court subsequently ordered D’Souza to pay a fine of Rs 15.60 lakh, failing which he would have to undergo three years of simple imprisonment.

The court directed that Rs 6 lakh each from the fine be paid to Jayanth B. Naik and Manoj, while Rs 3.50 lakh be paid to Vasudev. The remaining Rs 10,000 is to be deposited with the government.

D’Souza has been given time until September 30 to pay the fine. Special Public Prosecutor Jyothi Pramod Naik argued the case on behalf of the prosecution.