Fake Ghaziabad embassy: ‘Westarctica diplomat' visited 40 countries, had 12 'diplomatic' passports, says report

Harsh Vardhan Jain, arrested for running a fake embassy in Ghaziabad, possessed 12 diplomatic passports and visited 40 countries.

Harsh Vardhan Jain, a resident of Kavi Nagar in Ghaziabad who was arrested for allegedly running a fake embassy operating in the city, was reportedly in possession of 12 diplomatic passports and had visited around 40 countries over the past 10 years.

Noida unit of UP STF busts an illegal embassy running in Ghaziabad and arrests Harsh Vardhan Jain, who was running an illegal Westarctica embassy by taking a rented house in Kavinagar.(ANI Video Grab)

The man was running the “consulate” while claiming to be a diplomat of non-existent Westarctica.

Hindustan Times earlier reported that the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP-STF) has begun the process to obtain a Blue Corner notice against Harsha Vardhan Jain and applied for his police custody remand, aiming to investigate his overseas activities and financial links. The move comes after investigators said they uncovered evidence that suggests alleged financial transactions totaling ₹20 crore from Turkish national Syed Ehsan Ali to Jain between 2002 and 2004, along with an expanded list of Jain’s bank accounts — now totalling 12 in India and eight abroad — five in Dubai, two in London, and one in Mauritius.

Luxury cars cars bearing fake diplomatic number plates are parked outside a rented residential building in which a bogus embassy was running in Ghaziabad, outskirts of New Delhi, (AP)

According to the STF's Noida unit, investigations suggest that Jain was engaged in brokering deals by falsely promising job placements for companies and individuals in foreign countries.

“During the investigation, it was revealed that Jain was frequently visiting several Gulf and European countries to liaise and manage the operations of his shell companies,” the newspapers quoted an unnamed source as saying.

“In some of these companies, he listed himself as the secretary, while in others he projected himself as the director. He has visited around 40 countries, including more than 30 trips to the UAE alone in the past 10 years,” the source said, adding that the cops have recovered diplomatic passports of 12 countries as well.

Jain, 47, was arrested for allegedly operating a fake consulate from his rented residence while claiming diplomatic status from unrecognised micronations such as Westarctica, Seborga, Ladonia, and the fictional state of Paulovia.

He is currently in judicial custody, and a case has been registered at Kavi Nagar police station under sections 318(4) (cheating), 336(3) (forgery), 338 (forgery of valuable security), and 340(2) (forged documents or electronic records) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).