The talented Mr Lodonia
India is full of fakes. You've probably heard of fake iPhones or copycat designer clothes like Gucci or Prada. Some people even sell fake paintings or pretend to be someone they're not. But one man, Harsh Vardhan Jain, took pretending to a whole new level—he created a fake country!
From a regular rented house in Ghaziabad (just outside Delhi), Jain set up what he called the 'West Arctic Embassy.' That means he was pretending to be an ambassador—a very important person who represents their country in another one. Except the countries he claimed to represent—Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia—don't even exist!
He dressed up fancy, used cool cars with blue number plates (like real diplomats), and handed out fake government documents. And for a while, people actually believed him! Until the UP police's Special Task Force (STF) finally figured it out and stopped him.
Why are people so impressed by him? Because he was clever. Just like the movie characters Danny Ocean or Frank Abagnale, who trick people by using their brains, charm, and deep understanding of human behavior. Jain didn't just cheat people—he made them want to believe him. That's what made him so dangerous—and impressive to some.
On social media, many people are actually cheering for him. They're calling him smart and funny. Some even say, 'Only respect!' They treat his fake country, Lodonia, like it's some magical place—like Narnia from the books!
But while it may sound funny, there's a serious problem too. How did he get away with this for so long? He used fake government papers and fake passports, and no one noticed for a while. That's worrying. It means the systems that are supposed to protect us from fraud are not working well. If the police had taken longer, who knows how many more people he might have fooled?
So yes, Mr. Lodonia was talented. But it's time for the real authorities to be a lot more alert—and for all of us to remember that not everything cool or shiny is real.
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author's own.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Lathicharge in Kolhapur as mob upset with Mahadevi's relocation vandalizes vehicles
Kolhapur: The police resorted to a mild lathi charge after an enraged mob pelted stones and vandalized vehicles, including an animal ambulance, late on Monday. The unrest started during the relocation of "Mahadevi alias Madhuri", a 36-year-old elephant, from the Swastishri Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya Mutt in Nandani village to the Vantara's Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust in Jamnagar (Gujarat). The Supreme Court had, earlier on Monday, dismissed a writ petition filed by the Jain mutt challenging the Bombay high court's July 16 judgment, which mandated the elephant's rehabilitation. Following the court's directive, a large farewell procession for the elephant took place in the village. Over 10,000 emotional villagers, many in tears, gathered to bid goodbye to the beloved animal. Mathadhipati Jinsen Bhattarak Pattacharya, the head of the Jain mutt, urged the crowd to remain calm and respect the court's order. However, when the elephant was being moved into the animal ambulance, the situation escalated with the angry mob turning on police vehicles. While the procession was in its concluding stage, a few youths started an argument with the police personnel. After this, some people from the crowd started pelting stones at the police personnel. Due to the stone pelting, a law and order situation arose, after which the police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. The elephant was moved into the animal ambulance towards Gujarat at 1.30am. Inspector Pravin Khanapure of Shirol police station said, "A total of 80 people have been booked under various serious sections, while search for other unidentified people is underway. 10 police personnel were injured in stone pelting. Personnel are still deployed in the village."
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
390 check posts in border dists to prevent liquor movement ahead of elections
Patna: The Bihar Police headquarters on Tuesday announced to set up 390 check posts in 23 border districts to prevent illicit liquor movement ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The police have also identified locations for an additional 161 check posts in bordering states. As many as 10 teams of special operations group (SOG) under the prohibition unit have been deployed to keep tabs on the liquor trade. On an average, the SOG has been recovering 75,000 litre liquor every month. Amit Kumar Jain, ADG (weaker sections), during a press conference, highlighted increased liquor seizures, arrests and strategic inter-state operations. This year till June, over 16 lakh litre liquor worth over Rs 74 crore has been recovered in the state, marking a 12% increase in average monthly seizures, compared to 2024, he said. The units are especially keeping an eye on hooch traders to prevent incidents of poisoning, even as no such case has been reported this year, added Jain. In order to curb cross-border smuggling, the SOG conducted a total of 19 operations outside the state — seven in Jharkhand, 10 in Uttar Pradesh and two in Chhattisgarh — till July 2025 this year, seizing a total of around 95,000 litre Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), and 16 large and six small vehicles, according to a release by the Bihar PHQ. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas Prices In Dubai Might Be More Affordable Than You Think Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Quote Undo The crackdown on liquor-related offences has also led to a substantial number of arrests. "This year till June, a total of 63,442 individuals have been arrested. Over 61% of them were consumers and 39% liquor traders and distributors. The police have also identified 305 wanted accused from other states and are sharing their lists with the authorities concerned," said the release, adding 13,921 liquor traders from outside Bihar have been arrested within the state since April 2016. "A total of nine death penalties and 18 life imprisonments have been given to the offenders from April 2016 to July 2025," it read. In light of the upcoming elections, the Bihar Police is actively coordinating with their counterparts and excise departments of other states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh to curb the smuggling of IMFL. This coordination includes sharing information to identify the retailers/wholesalers. Meanwhile, the district police have been asked to ensure timely destruction of the seized liquor and photography of the process.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
Fake ambassador named shell companies after major Indian companies, UP Police find
Harsh Vardhan Jain, the man accused of running a fake embassy in Ghaziabad's Kavi Nagar area, allegedly named his shell companies after prominent Indian firms and public sector undertakings (PSUs). Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group PLC, Reliance Big Pictures, Reliance Capital Limited, Reliance Big Entertainment Limited and Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited were some of the names used, sources in the Uttar Pradesh Police said. 'This helped him present his work as legitimate in other countries,' a source said. A majority of these companies were reportedly in England. On Tuesday, the UP Police took custody of Jain, who claimed to be the ambassador of 'Westarctica', for five days in connection with the fraud and cheating case. According to police sources, the police had sought to question Jain about several bank accounts, 25 shell companies, and his frequent foreign tours, all of which are now under the scanner for alleged links to a larger hawala racket. Jain was arrested last week by Uttar Pradesh's Special Task Force that claimed to have uncovered a complex international financial network — stretching from marble mines in Rajasthan to banks in Dubai, Mauritius, and the UK. A source said that two people have come forward claiming to have given money to Jain on the pretext of getting jobs in Iraq. One was from Uttar Pradesh and another from Delhi, the source added. The police are verifying their claims. A police officer privy to the investigation stated that, so far, evidence suggests Jain made money through his shell companies by offering fake business deals and promising jobs to people in foreign countries. The police team is currently trying to determine the number of people he may have cheated. The probe has allegedly revealed that Jain had 12 diplomatic passports and had visited around 40 countries over the past 10 years. These countries include the UK, UAE, Mauritius, Turkey, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Switzerland, Poland, Sri Lanka, and Belgium.
