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Who is Harshvardhan Jain? ‘Westarctica diplomat’ who ran fake embassy for 7 years in Ghaziabad
Behind the facade of a made-up embassy, Harshvardhan Jain allegedly ran a job fraud and hawala racket.
Harshvardhan Jain has been arrested by the UP ATS for running a fake embassy in Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar, which falls under the National Capital Region, in plain sight with no one suspecting a thing.
With a lavish bungalow to house his fake embassy to luxury cars, including an Audi and a Mercedes, parked outside with diplomatic number plates, Jain managed to perfect the illusion of running an embassy for seven years, until he could not.
He was running an embassy for a micronation that is not recognised by any state - West Arctica, and allegedly claimed to be the consul/ambassador of non-existent countries such as West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia. On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force unearthed his web of lies and arrested him.
Also read: ₹44 lakh, diplomatic passports, 34 seals: What cops seized from 'Westarctica' fake embassy
Who is Harshvardhan Jain?
Harshvardhan Jain is an MBA graduate from the London College of Applied Science and also from Ghaziabad’s ITS college, reported India Today. Son of a businessman in Ghaziabad, his family owned marble mines in Rajasthan. However, after his father passed away and the family faced financial troubles, Jain met controversial godman Chandraswami, with whose help he moved to London and opened several companies.
These companies, according to probe agencies, were used to hide unaccounted money, the India Today report said.
He also had links with international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, as revealed in the initial probe.
Jain only returned to Ghaziabad after Chandraswami’s death and started the fake embassy to defraud people. He even morphed his photos with key political figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ex President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in order to appear legitimate.
This arrest was not Jain’s first brush with probe agencies. Back in 2011, was found with illegal satellite phones, and a case was registered at the Kavi Nagar police station in Ghaziabad, said UP Police additional director general (law & order) Amitabh Yash.
Why was Jain running a fake embassy?
Behind the facade of a made-up embassy allegedly ran a job fraud and hawala racket. Jain’s main activities, through the fake embassy, included brokering deals for companies and individuals to work abroad and running a hawala racket through shell companies, said police.
His racket also allegedly promised people and companies to get work overseas, only to cheat them, the India Today report said. He allegedly used her fake diplomatic persona to win over people’s trust and cheat them with fraudulent jobs or trade opportunities.
What was recovered during the raid?
Harshvardhan Jain was found in possession of forged documents, foreign currency, and several other materials, which he probably used to run his hawala racket. During Jain's arrest from the city’s Kavi Nagar area, Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) Noida unit seized over ₹44 lakh in cash along with foreign currency of several countries. Four vehicles with diplomatic number plates were also seized from his possession, along with 18 diplomatic number plates and 12 diplomatic passports of micronations.
He also had forged documents with the Ministry of External Affairs seal, two forged PAN cards, 34 seals of various countries and companies, two fake press cards, and documents of various companies, all of which the police have seized.
