5 days ago
Fake Diplomat Arrested In Ghaziabad Had Set Up 'East India Company' Among Many Others
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Harsh Vardhan Jain, the fake diplomat arrested from Ghaziabad, had set up a shell company named East India Company UK Limited as part of his fraudulent network.
Harsh Vardhan Jain, who was arrested in Ghaziabad on charges of representing himself as a self-styled diplomat, had set up multiple shell companies, one also in the name of East India Company UK Limited, India Today reported.
Investigations into the case had earlier revealed that Jain owned a fleet of luxury cars bearing fake diplomatic number plates, kept some forged documents, satellite phones, morphed photos with top Indian leaders, and had a web of shell companies allegedly used for hawala transactions.
According to the report, other than the East India Company, the other companies that Jain had set up were named State Trading Corporation, Island General Trading Co LLC (Dubai), Indira Overseas Ltd (Mauritius), and Cameron Ispat Sarl (Africa).
'West Arctica", 'Saborga", 'Lodonia", and 'Poulvia" were among fictitious 'countries' the Ghaziabad man claimed to have represented as a self-styled diplomat while operating their bogus 'embassies' from his rented residence less than 35 km from Delhi.
A cursory internet search revealed that 'West Arctica" is a non-profit for climate action and an unrecognised micronation in Antarctica, 'Lodonia" is a micronation (a self-declared entity but not officially recognised as nation) in southern Sweden.
Similar searches for Saborga and Poulvia yielded few results.
The 'diplomat" was working out of the 'consulate" which also hoisted 'flags" of these 'nations" and multiple luxury cars with special blue coloured number plates parked outside, police said.
The conman's elaborate deception, however, came to an end on July 23, when the Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) arrested him and uncovered a stash that included 44.7 lakh in cash, foreign currencies, multiple forged diplomatic passports, and 18 fake diplomatic number plates.
A FAKE DIPLOMAT, HIS BOGUS COMPANIES
Commenting on the development, Additional Director General of Police Amitabh Yash on Wednesday said Jain was running the bogus embassy out of a rented property while projecting himself as a consul or ambassador of micronations.
'The accused was running the bogus embassy from a rented house and projected himself as a consul or ambassador of these made-up countries and moved around in vehicles bearing fake diplomatic number plates," said Yash.
He added that Jain allegedly used morphed photographs showing himself with prominent figures like the Prime Minister, the President, and other dignitaries to mislead people and gain influence.
Jain, Yash said, was also previously associated with controversial godman Chandraswami and international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi.
In 2011, Jain was booked for the recovery of an illegal satellite phone, also at Kavi Nagar police station.
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