A nation of one: Ghaziabad ‘fake embassy' case shines light on micronations and legal grey zones
The UP Special Task Force on July 22 arrested 47-year-old Harsh Vardhan Jain from Ghaziabad for running "embassies" of four micronations — Westarctica, Seborga, Poulbia and Ladonia — from a rented house.
Claiming to be their "ambassador," Jain possessed forged diplomatic plates, luxury cars and official seals. Police are probing alleged overseas job scams, hawala links and counterintelligence activities. Custody plea is pending in court. They are also examining statements by Westarctica and Seborga for possible use in the investigation.
"The problem is that there is no reference point for us also to deal with cases that involve something called a micronation," a senior UP police officer told PTI.
"The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is our medium for correspondence in cases that go beyond the territories of India, and here, these unrecognised entities don't have such a legal system in place," the officer said, noting the complexities of the matter.
The case not only exposed lapses in local intelligence systems but also turned attention to the peculiar world of micronations — a concept still largely outside academic and legal frameworks in India.
According to a 2014 research paper 'Islands and Micronationality' by academic Philip Hayward, "Micronations are largely notional entities. They are territories that have been declared independent by individuals or groups despite the minimal likelihood of their being recognised as independent by any established nation state or international body."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
34 minutes ago
- News18
Puri stampede probe report submitted to CM Majhi
Agency: PTI Bhubaneswar, Jul 31 (PTI) Odisha Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Thursday submitted the inquiry report into the June 29 stampede near Sri Gundicha Temple in Puri that claimed three lives and left several others injured during Rath Yatra. The report, submitted to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, comes exactly within the 30-day deadline set for the probe. An official said Garg held different public hearing sessions in Bhubaneswar and Puri before preparing her final report. Apart from the hearing sessions, Garg took note of CCTV footage, video clips, still pictures of the incident, the official said, adding that the development commissioner prepared the report after holding discussions with different stakeholders like the police, administration, servitors, victim families and others. Three persons, including two women, were killed and over 50 others injured in the stampede near Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri during a ceremony related to the Rath Yatra festivities. The incident took place around 4.20 am on June 29 when thousands of devotees had gathered near the chariots parked in front of the temple. The Gundicha Temple, located around 3km from the 12th century shrine, is the aunt's house of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Subhadra and Balabhadra. In the aftermath, the state government initiated a probe to examine crowd management protocols and emergency response measures. Garg was also suggested to make recommendations on how to avoid such incidents in future, an official said. Immediately after the stampede, Majhi announced and ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each for the next of kin of deceased persons identified as — Basanti Sahu (36) from Bolagarh, and Premakant Mohanty (80) and Pravati Das (42) from Balipatna. The government also removed the Puri collector and the SP and suspended two police officers for dereliction of duty. Though the details of Garg's findings and recommendations are yet be made public, the report will help the government understand the lapses and implement measures for the safety of devotees in future. PTI AAM AAM MNB view comments First Published: July 31, 2025, 21:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
38 minutes ago
- News18
'No Helmet, No Fuel' For Two-Wheeler Riders In Bhopal, Indore From August 1
Last Updated: Starting August 1, two-wheeler riders without helmets will be denied petrol in Bhopal and Indore. Beginning August 1, two-wheeler riders without helmets would not be allowed to buy petrol from fuel pumps in Bhopal and Indore, as the collectors of these cities have issued prohibitory orders with an aim to curb violations of traffic rules. The prohibitory orders in this regard were issued on Wednesday by Bhopal Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh and Indore Collector Ashish Singh, citing a rising number of road accidents, NDTV reported. Instructions have been given to all the fuel pump owners in the two cities not to provide fuel to any rider not wearing an ISI-marked helmet. The order will be enforced from August 1 to September 29, 2025. The violation of the order, issued under section 163 of the Indian Civil Security Code 2023, will attract legal action against the concerned petrol pump, which includes imprisonment up to one year or a fine up to Rs 5,000 or both. The order cited recurring reports and alarming statistics around two-wheeler fatalities in recent years. It referenced Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which makes ISI-marked helmets mandatory for both drivers and pillion riders. PTI reported. Justice Sapre (retired) instructed that a campaign should be launched in Indore to ensure two-wheeler riders wear helmets and passengers fasten seat belts in cars. The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently expressed its displeasure over the blatant violation of traffic rules on the streets of Indore, stressing the need to take strict steps. Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Pradeep Sharma said that 32 lakh vehicles, including about 16 lakh two-wheelers, were registered under various categories in Indore district since 1950. He said that approximately 21 lakh vehicles are currently running on roads in Indore district. (With inputs from agencies) view comments First Published: July 31, 2025, 21:08 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Turn Amaravati into city with largest lung space, Andhra CM urges officials
Agency: PTI Amaravati, Jul 31 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday directed officials to turn the greenfield capital Amaravati into a city with the largest lung space. The Chief Minister directed officials to implement a green action plan under the concept 'Amaravati in Nature'. 'Turn capital Amaravati into a city with the largest lung space with Amaravati in Nature concept," said Naidu in the press release. Naidu reviewed Amaravati beautification and green – blue master plan today at the secretariat. He directed officials to ensure that the trunk roads, connected roads, roads built near layouts, green zones, buffer zones, traffic intersections and others are all appealing to the eye. Likewise, he instructed officials to carry out avenue plantations along the roads, including constructing worldclass parks in the greenfield capital city. Similarly, the CM instructed officials to sow medicinal plants in Amaravati, along with indigenous trees in the green belt and buffer zones, and turn the riverfront into an exciting place. According to Naidu, Amaravti should become a place which will give rise to different coloured flowers in different seasons. As part of beautifying Amaravati, he instructed officials to study places like Bengaluru and Singapore and advised them to name different parks after various countries and also grow flowering plants from those countries, among other guidelines. PTI STH ADB view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
