logo
Five held near Kolkata in Patna hospital murder case; prime accused escapes

Five held near Kolkata in Patna hospital murder case; prime accused escapes

At least five people have been arrested from New Town near Kolkata in connection with the murder of gangster Chandan Mishra in a Patna hospital, police said on Saturday.
However, the prime suspects, who were allegedly hiding in the city managed to flee, prompting police to launch a renewed search operation, a senior officer claimed.
The five arrested, who were apprehended from a housing complex in the satellite township of the metropolis following raids conducted jointly by the Bihar Police and the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) in the early hours of Saturday, were "providing logistics" to the five main accused who killed Mishra, an officer said.
According to CCTV camera footage, the prime suspects escaped the city in a white vehicle, which was spotted passing through Basanti Highway near here, the officer said.
The vehicle was later seen moving through the jurisdictions of three police stations - Anandapur, Kolkata Leather Complex, and Bhangar, he added.
Police have begun questioning the five arrested accused, who were living in two separate flats in the housing complex in New Town area, the officer said, adding that their mobile phones and other documents have been seized.
During Saturday's raid conducted around 5.38 am, one person was arrested from a place outside the housing complex, and after questioning him, four others were held from inside two flats, he said.
"These people supposedly helped the criminals in hiding and also in their transportation. We are checking their call lists, their WhatsApp messenger chats in connection with our probe into the matter," the officer said.
Mishra, a resident of Buxar district of Bihar, was shot dead by gunmen inside a private hospital in Patna on Thursday morning. He was a murder convict out on parole.
"Their mobile phone tower location helped us track them. Bihar Police will produce them before a local court, seeking transit remand," he said.
A purported CCTV footage of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed five armed men entering the ICU of the hospital and opening fire at Mishra.
Mishra was lodged at Beur Jail and had gone to the hospital for treatment on parole, police said, adding that he was involved in 24 criminal cases, including over 12 murder cases.
SP Patna (Central) Diksha had told PTI on Friday that a probe is underway as to how the criminals managed to reach the room where Mishra was admitted without any security check.
"This raises serious questions over the security arrangements at the hospital. Five unmasked armed assailants reached the second floor, opened fire at Mishra, and fled the premises. Investigators are certainly looking into any complicity that may have led to the security lapse," she had said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Who is Harshvardhan Jain? 'Londonia envoy' who ran fake embassy in Ghaziabad
Who is Harshvardhan Jain? 'Londonia envoy' who ran fake embassy in Ghaziabad

India Today

time25 minutes ago

  • India Today

Who is Harshvardhan Jain? 'Londonia envoy' who ran fake embassy in Ghaziabad

A lavish bungalow, four luxury cars with diplomatic-style number plates, Rs 54 lakh in cash, and fake photos with global leaders - for years, one man operated a fake embassy from Ghaziabad, posing as an ambassador of obscure micronations. No one suspected a thing until the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) finally exposed the elaborate Jain, 47, was arrested for running an illegal 'embassy' out of a rented bungalow in Kavi Nagar. He had all the trappings of a diplomat, except the how did Jain manage to run such an audacious racket for years without raising suspicion? He had transformed the bungalow into a full-fledged embassy for a self-declared micronation called Westarctica, complete with national flags, blue-number-plated cars, and fake diplomatic credentials. WHO IS HARSHVARDHAN JAIN? Harshvardhan Jain has an MBA from the London College of Applied Science. He also earned an MBA from ITS College in father was a businessman in Ghaziabad and the family owned marble mines in Rajasthan. However, after the demise of his father, the family faced losses in the business. During this time, Jain met Chandraswami, who helped him move to London, where Jain opened several companies. The bungalow Harshvardhan used as embassy to defraud people According to investigating agencies, these companies were used to hide unaccounted money. The sources also said that Jain also worked with Adnan Khashoggi, an international arms dealer, and subsequently expanded his business in Dubai as well. Jain's return to Ghaziabad happened after Chandraswami passed away, and he started facing financial problems, after which he started the fake embassy and began cheating said Jain used edited photos with political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, to convince people he was a powerful diplomat. Harvardhan Jain's morphed photo with PM Modi The investigation showed Jain's racket involved cheating individuals and companies by promising to help with overseas business and job opportunities. He also ran a hawala network through shell name plate of the rented villa, where Jain was operating the illegal embassy, mentions the name: Sushil Anoop Singh. The second nameplate, painted in gold, displays the name of the accused, H.V. Jain, with the title 'H.E.' prefixed to it. Notably, 'H.E.' stands for 'His/Her Excellency,' a formal honorific typically reserved for high-ranking officials such as ambassadors or High Commissioners in Commonwealth countries. Harvardhan Jain's morphed photo with APJ Abdul Kalam During the raid, the STF recovered fake diplomatic items, including four luxury cars with diplomatic plates, twelve diplomatic passports of micronations, forged documents of Ministry of External Affairs, two fake PAN cards, thirty-four counterfeit seals, two fake press cards, Rs 44.7 lakh cash, foreign currencies and eighteen fake diplomatic number WAS HIS MODUS OPERANDI?Jain defrauded people under the guise of diplomatic connections and international job placements. Jain, 47, posed as a high-profile ambassador from several self-proclaimed micronations and was involved in hawala transactions, fraud, and brokerage under false pretences. According to the STF, Jain had falsely styled himself as a diplomatic figure by associating with obscure self-declared entities like Seborga, West Arctica, and Poulbia Lodonia — micronations with no legal international recognition. He used these bogus titles of "Ambassador" and "Advisor" to establish credibility and lure private individuals and companies into fraudulent job and business his residence, he had hoisted the flags of various countries and operated vehicles bearing fake diplomatic number plates to maintain a facade of legitimacy. He also issued fake diplomatic and press ID cards without authorisation and had been conducting operations allegedly involving money laundering and hawala from the AND SEIZURESOn the night of July 22, acting on a tip-off, STF teams raided Jain's home and arrested him around 11:30 PM. Officers found:Rs 44.7 lakh in Indian currencyForeign currency in significant denominationsFour vehicles with fake diplomatic number plates12 unauthorised passports20 fake diplomatic license plates34 counterfeit seals of various micronations and fake companies2 fake PAN cards in Jain's nameLuxury watches, fake diplomatic and press cardsA laptop and mobile phone used for illicit operationsCRIMINAL BACKGROUNDJain has a prior case against him from 2012, when Ghaziabad Police recovered a satellite phone from his possession, leading to charges under the Telegraph dubious journey began in the early 2000s when he came in contact with controversial godman Chandraswami, who allegedly introduced him to international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and businessman Ehsaan Ali Syed in London. Jain and Syed then reportedly floated over a dozen companies in London, many of which were used for high-stakes brokerage and Jain moved to Dubai, where he collaborated with associates to establish companies aimed at 'facilitating' business across Gulf and African nations — a cover for alleged high-value fraud and middleman ILLUSION OF LEGITIMACYFrom 2012 onward, Jain aggressively cultivated his fake diplomatic image. By associating himself with unrecognised micronations and creating a false narrative of being a high-ranking diplomat, he conned individuals and businesses into parting with large sums in return for job placements, contracts, and favours that never materialised.A new FIR has been filed against Harshavardhan Jain at Kavi Nagar Police Station under several sections of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) including fraud and misrepresentation. Authorities confirmed that further legal proceedings will be carried out by the local STF emphasised that Jain's arrest has disrupted a major racket where symbols of international diplomacy were misused to create a facade of power and influence. The agency has warned citizens against falling prey to such fabricated diplomatic personas and urged them to verify all credentials with legitimate authorities.- Ends advertisement

Fake stamps, currency, diplomatic license plates: How a man ran fake embassy for 'West Arctica' from Ghaziabad
Fake stamps, currency, diplomatic license plates: How a man ran fake embassy for 'West Arctica' from Ghaziabad

Time of India

time26 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Fake stamps, currency, diplomatic license plates: How a man ran fake embassy for 'West Arctica' from Ghaziabad

NEW DELHI: A man running a fake embassy out of a rented house in has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF). The accused, Harsh Vardhan Jain, was pretending to be a diplomat from a made-up country called "West Arctica," a senior official said on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Jain, a resident of Kavi Nagar in Ghaziabad, was caught on Tuesday. According to the preliminary investigation by STF's Noida unit, he was tricking people and companies by promising them job placements in foreign countries. He is also suspected of being involved in a hawala racket through fake shell companies. To make himself look genuine, Jain used digitally edited photos of himself with top Indian leaders like the prime minister and the president. This helped him gain people's trust. "Following the standard operating procedure, the pilots informed the authorities and returned the aircraft to bay," the airline added. Additional Director General of Police Amitabh Yash said, "The accused was running the bogus embassy from a rented house and projected himself as a consul or ambassador of non-existent countries such as West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia." Jain even used cars with fake diplomatic number plates to appear more authentic. During questioning, it was revealed that he had connections in the past with controversial godman Chandraswami and international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. He was earlier booked in 2011 for illegally possessing a satellite phone. The STF found and seized: Four vehicles with fake diplomatic number plates 12 forged diplomatic passports from the fake micronations Fake documents with the ministry of external affair's seal Two fake PAN cards 34 rubber stamps of different countries and organizations Two fake press cards Rs 44.7 lakh in cash Foreign currency Papers linked to shell companies 18 fake diplomatic plates An FIR has been registered at the Kavi Nagar police station. Officials said more investigation is going on to uncover the full scale of the scam.

Guest houses to complexes: Kolkata's accommodation under scrutiny after arrest of Chandan Mishra's accused killers
Guest houses to complexes: Kolkata's accommodation under scrutiny after arrest of Chandan Mishra's accused killers

Indian Express

time32 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Guest houses to complexes: Kolkata's accommodation under scrutiny after arrest of Chandan Mishra's accused killers

The recent arrest of five individuals — including a woman — in connection with the murder of Patna-based gangster Chandan Mishra has cast a spotlight on the security protocol and verification processes of rental accommodations in and around Kolkata. The incident has not only led to a case being filed against a guest house in Anandapur but has also brought renewed attention to the Shukhobrishti housing complex in New Town, which previously faced a case in 2021. On Saturday night, a large police team raided a guest house in Madurdaha, Anandapur, which is a short distance from the Anandapur police station, and arrested the accused in the case. 'There was definitely a violation regarding document verification on the part of the guest house. The documents of three of them were not verified,' said a senior STF official. A case has been filed against the guest house under Section 223(B) of the BNS for disobeying government directives. This contradicts what the guest house owner told mediapersons: that all guests had shown valid identity documents before being allotted rooms. Beyond the guest house, the arrests have once again drawn attention to Shukhobrishti, a massive 150-acre housing project in New Town with more than 20,000 apartments and nearly 350 towers, often referred to as a township in itself. Police had questioned five residents from two separate flats in Shukhobrishti on July 19 in connection with the July 17 Patna murder. This is the second time the complex has come under the scanner. On June 9, 2021, two wanted Punjab gangsters — Jaipal Bhullar and Jaspreet Singh alias Jassi Kharar — were gunned down in a police shootout inside Flat 201 of Block 153 during a raid. Despite assurances from Bidhannagar Police and the introduction of a police clearance certificate system for tenants, enforcement remains inconsistent. Local police sources say criminals continue to 'exploit loopholes' in the rental system, particularly subletting. 'It's a huge complex with so many people staying inside. The real problem is that most of the occupants aren't owners — they are tenants, often from Bihar and UP,' said a senior officer from the West Bengal Special Task Force. 'You can check the background of the tenant who signs the lease, but not necessarily of the friends and acquaintances who come and stay. For instance, Ehsan, who was staying in Shukhobrishti, had no criminal background. But he was contacted by Sahil from Patna to receive Tausheef (the main accused in the murder of Chandan Misra) and others.' The size of the complex, along with absent landlords and weak surveillance, further complicates monitoring. While a 'massive drive' was conducted four years ago to verify tenants, authorities admit that '100 percent verification is not possible' and say that residents and landlords must also take more responsibility. Recently, the Bidhannagar Police had issued show-cause notices to 94 landlords for renting properties without conducting required background checks on tenants. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store