The ‘Ambassador’ Without a Country: How Harshvardhan Jain Ran a Fake Embassy in Ghaziabad
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In a scandalous case that has stunned authorities, Harshvardhan Jain, aged 47, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on July 23, accused of running a sham diplomatic mission from a luxury rented bungalow in Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad, for nearly seven years.
Jain styled himself as “His Excellency,” claiming to be the consul or ambassador of fictitious micronations—Westarctica, Saborga, Poulvia, Lodonia, and even Londonia. To cement his legitimacy, he raised flags of these fantasy countries, drove luxury cars fitted with diplomatic number plates, and morphed images to depict meetings with real dignitaries like PM Narendra Modi and President APJ Abdul Kalam.
During a raid, the STF seized a stunning array of evidence:
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₹₹44.7 lakh in cash and various foreign currencies
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Four high-end vehicles sporting faux diplomatic plates
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12 bogus diplomatic passports, 18 fake license plates
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34 rubber stamps, forged Ministry of External Affairs seals, two fake PAN cards, and two press IDs
Authorities also revealed that Jain used the sham embassy to facilitate a hawala money-laundering racket and dupe people—offering fake overseas job placements and diplomatic assistance via shell companies.
Of Ghaziabad origin, Jain held MBA degrees from both the London College of Applied Science and ITS College, Ghaziabad. Born into a business family owning marble mines in Rajasthan, he later associated with controversial figures like godman Chandraswami and international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi before returning to India.
Police discoveries include a 2011 case involving illegal satellite phones—signifying a long-standing pattern of fraud. An FIR has been filed under charges of forgery, impersonation, possession of fake documents, and money laundering, and investigations continue to uncover his network and accomplices.
This case, one of the most audacious diplomatic cons schemes in recent memory, underscores how sophisticated deception—even using micronations—can fund illicit financial operations under the guise of legitimacy.
