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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
'Westarctica' diplomat case: Fake Ghaziabad embassy kingpin tied to godman, arms dealer, ₹300 cr fraud
The investigation against Harsha Vardhan Jain, who has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for running a fake embassy in Ghaziabad, has revealed potential links to a ₹300 crore scam. Harshvardhan Jain was found in possession of forged documents, foreign currency, and several other materials, which he probably used to run his hawala racket. During the raid on Jain's fake embassy in Ghaziabad's Kavi Nagar, police recovered pictures of him with controversial 'godman' Chandraswami and Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. Chandraswami gained prominence in the 80s and 90s and was considered to be the spiritual adviser of three former prime ministers – PV Narasimha Rao, Chandra Shekhar and VP Singh. However, he was arrested in 1996 in connection with financial irregularities. He was also accused of funding the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. A raid at his ashram also revealed his links to arms dealer Khashoggi. The UP ATS, during the probe, found that Chandraswami had introduced Jain to Khashoggi and Ahsan Ali Sayed in 2000 in London. Sayed allegedly worked with the fake diplomat to open 25 shell companies which were used for brokering deals, UP Police additional director general (ADG), Law and Order, Amitabh Yash, said. Sayed also operated a company called Western Advisory Group, based out of Switzerland, which worked with other companies to help them procure loans in exchange for brokerage. The company allegedly collected brokerage worth nearly ₹300 crore (25 million pounds) and fled from the country, following which Sayed was arrested in London in 2022, NDTV reported. The police are now probing the degree of Jain's involvement in the ₹300 crore scam on Swiss territory. His involvement in arms dealing is also under the scanner given his links to Khashoggi, UP-STF additional superintendent of police Raj Kumar Mishra said. Who is 'Westarctica diplomat' Harshvardhan Jain? Harsha Vardhan Jain is reportedly an MBA graduate from the London College of Applied Science. He had been running a fake embassy for micronations such as 'Westarctica', which are not recognised by any state for seven years. He claimed to be a consul/ambassador for non-existent countries like Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia. He is the son of a businessman in Ghaziabad, and his family owned marble mines in Rajasthan. However, after his father's passing away, the family faced financial challenges and Jain met Chandraswami, who helped him move to London and open several companies. After the godman's death, Jain came back to Ghaziabad and began running the fake embassy. During the raid on his premises, the police seized four luxury cars with fake diplomatic number plates, forged documents, foreign currency, and other materials used to run his hawala racket.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Illegal conversion case: Three more arrested for ‘trapping' women
Three more people were on Wednesday arrested in connection with an illegal religious conversion racket unearthed by Agra police earlier this year, officials said. The three accused arrested on Wednesday were suspected to have trapped innocent women in 'love jihad', police said. To date, a total of 14 arrests have been made in connection with the case registered in March in Agra after two sisters, aged 33 and 18 years, from this district went missing. A court had previously remanded 11 of the previously arrested individuals to police custody. The fresh arrests were made from ISBT here. Elaborating on police action on Wednesday, the media cell of Agra Police Commissionerate said the names of the three suspects came to light during the interrogation of the 11 persons who were previously arrested. Among the three is Junaid Qureshi, 30, from Dayalpur in North East Delhi and to whom a Dalit girl from Haryana was forcibly married, police said. The other two, Abdullah (20) and Abdul Rahim (27), who were arrested by police in Agra, hail from Mustafabad in North East Delhi. The Dalit girl was rescued from one Abdul Rehman, who was arrested on Monday. A missing case regarding the girl was previously registered in Haryana. The three accused arrested on Wednesday were suspected to have trapped innocent women in 'love jihad', and Rehman used to undertake religious conversion and prepare fake documents in this regard,' stated the press statement. Rehman aka Rehman Chacha originally hails from Firozabad who had converted to Islam in 1990 before moving to Delhi. He had changed his name from Mahendra Pal to Abdul Rehman. Police were also said to be investigating a network involved in religious conversions with the help of funding from the US and Canada. 'Those working for the network used to target people of Hindu and Christian faiths,' said police commissioner Deepak Kumar, who clarified that there was no connection between Rehman and 'Changur Baba', who was recently arrested in another U.P. district on similar charges. 'The girl from Haryana, has told a magistrate in her statement that she was forced into 'nikah' with Junaid Qureshi and held hostage in Delhi. The two others arrested today (Wednesday) are the sons of Abdul Rehman and are actively involved in the racket,' he added. Rehman is also said to be a close aide of Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, who was arrested by UP ATS in 2021 and sentenced to life imprisonment by an NIA court in 2024. The case registered in Agra includes charges under section 87 (abduction of women to compel her for marriage), 111(3) (organised crime), 111(4) (being member of organised crime syndicate), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bhartiya Nyayay Sabhita and Section 3(5) of The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
Hindustan Times
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Who is Harshvardhan Jain? ‘Westarctica diplomat' who ran fake embassy for 7 years in Ghaziabad
Harshvardhan Jain has been arrested by the UP ATS for running a fake embassy in Ghaziabad's Kavi Nagar, which falls under the National Capital Region, in plain sight with no one suspecting a thing. Harshvardhan Jain was found in possession of forged documents, foreign currency, and several other materials, which he probably used to run his hawala racket. With a lavish bungalow to house his fake embassy to luxury cars, including an Audi and a Mercedes, parked outside with diplomatic number plates, Jain managed to perfect the illusion of running an embassy for seven years, until he could not. He was running an embassy for a micronation that is not recognised by any state - West Arctica, and allegedly claimed to be the consul/ambassador of non-existent countries such as West Arctica, Saborga, Poulvia, and Lodonia. On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force unearthed his web of lies and arrested him. Also read: ₹44 lakh, diplomatic passports, 34 seals: What cops seized from 'Westarctica' fake embassy Who is Harshvardhan Jain? Harshvardhan Jain is an MBA graduate from the London College of Applied Science and also from Ghaziabad's ITS college, reported India Today. Son of a businessman in Ghaziabad, his family owned marble mines in Rajasthan. However, after his father passed away and the family faced financial troubles, Jain met controversial godman Chandraswami, with whose help he moved to London and opened several companies. These companies, according to probe agencies, were used to hide unaccounted money, the India Today report said. He also had links with international arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, as revealed in the initial probe. Jain only returned to Ghaziabad after Chandraswami's death and started the fake embassy to defraud people. He even morphed his photos with key political figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ex President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in order to appear legitimate. This arrest was not Jain's first brush with probe agencies. Back in 2011, was found with illegal satellite phones, and a case was registered at the Kavi Nagar police station in Ghaziabad, said UP Police additional director general (law & order) Amitabh Yash. Why was Jain running a fake embassy? Behind the facade of a made-up embassy allegedly ran a job fraud and hawala racket. Jain's main activities, through the fake embassy, included brokering deals for companies and individuals to work abroad and running a hawala racket through shell companies, said police. His racket also allegedly promised people and companies to get work overseas, only to cheat them, the India Today report said. He allegedly used her fake diplomatic persona to win over people's trust and cheat them with fraudulent jobs or trade opportunities. What was recovered during the raid? Harshvardhan Jain was found in possession of forged documents, foreign currency, and several other materials, which he probably used to run his hawala racket. During Jain's arrest from the city's Kavi Nagar area, Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) Noida unit seized over ₹44 lakh in cash along with foreign currency of several countries. Four vehicles with diplomatic number plates were also seized from his possession, along with 18 diplomatic number plates and 12 diplomatic passports of micronations. He also had forged documents with the Ministry of External Affairs seal, two forged PAN cards, 34 seals of various countries and companies, two fake press cards, and documents of various companies, all of which the police have seized.
Hindustan Times
23-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Coach, berth no. stamped on hands: How 56 women were saved from trafficking on train in Bengal
An unusually large group of young women traveling together, none of them carrying their tickets or documents — this was enough to spark suspicion among railway staff aboard the New Jalpaiguri-Patna Capital Express. The women, aged between 18 and 31, hailed from the Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and Alipurduar districts of West Bengal.(Representative image/AI-generated) What it revealed was a tale of false promises, preying on vulnerabilities, and a racket of trafficking. In all, 56 women were rescued and two persons accompanying them were arrested from the train at the New Jalpaiguri station in Siliguri, West Bengal, officials told news agency PTI. The women, aged between 18 and 31, hailed from the Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and Alipurduar districts of West Bengal. The ticket examining staff and the railway protection force (RPF) suspected something amiss when they found that none of the women had valid tickets on them. The coach and berth numbers were stamped on their hands, a routine check by RPF personnel revealed at the source station. The women told them they were promised employment at a Bengaluru-based company. Also read | UP ATS busts international trafficking racket The RPF found a man and a woman accompanying them who failed to clarify why the women were being sent to Bihar when they had been promised jobs in Bengaluru. They failed to produce any documents confirming job offers or the cited reasons for the travel, officials said. The accompanying duo were thus arrested at the spot. The women have, meanwhile, since been returned to their homes. Also read | How Bengal, India's human trafficking hub, is weaving a turnaround story The railway police and the RPF are jointly probing the case, especially the human trafficking angle. West Bengal also has a specialised cell against human trafficking in its Criminal Investigation Department. This Anti Human Trafficking Cell (AHTU) can be contacted on 033-24506114, as per the CID website.
The Print
19-07-2025
- The Print
'Healer' on bicycle to conversion syndicate with Rs 60 cr in banks: The journey of UP's Chhangur Baba
Well, at least until 5 July. Since then he has been in the custody of the Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorism Squad on the charge of orchestrating large-scale conversion and receiving unexplained foreign funding. Cut to 15 years later, and Jamaluddin has transformed. Now known as 'Chhangur baba' ('Chhangur' being the Hindi word for someone with 6 toes or fingers), he was driving a Toyota Fortuner with a bodyguard, and handing around Rs 500 to people he met. Balrampur/Lucknow: The sight of a man, riding a bicycle, carrying rings and other religious paraphernalia, was not unusual 15 years ago. But the fact that Jamaluddin had six toes on his left foot was definitely cause for comment—and memory—for residents of Utraula block of Balrampur in UP. The UP ATS arrested Jamaluddin and his associate, Neetu Navin Rohra, who goes by her converted name Nasreen, from a Lucknow hotel earlier in July. His son, Mehboob, and Nasreen's husband, Navin Rohra, were arrested in April on the same charge. The UP ATS has initiated a broader probe into an alleged syndicate of conversion to Islam and funding—mostly from the UAE—which resulted in assets worth crores for Jamaluddin and several plots of land. The UP ATS on Thursday arrested one more accused in the case, identified as Rashid Shah, who allegedly played an active role in the conversion racket and land deals. The latest arrest coincided with a wide-ranging operation by the Enforcement Directorate at 14 locations—12 in Balrampur and two in Mumbai. Over Rs 60 crore has been identified in 22 bank accounts allegedly linked to the conversion syndicate, to which money was transferred from Middle Eastern countries, predominantly the United Arab Emirates. 'The investigation is not limited to uncovering the modus operandi behind mass conversion, but will also probe the entire syndicate, including funding from foreign sources, a network of agents both in India and abroad, and the extent of the conversion racket,' the UP ADG Law and Order and Chief of the Special Task Force, Amitabh Yash, told ThePrint. Also read: 'Positive act' needed to show conversion to Hinduism—SC denies Christian woman's caste certificate plea Bicycle to Bajaj CT 100 and Toyota Fortuner Speaking to ThePrint, a 40-year-old shopkeeper in Utraula market said he wasn't in the least surprised that Jamaluddin or Chhangur Baba was now facing allegations of amassing immense wealth illegally. 'Every time he (Baba) used to come into the area, Naveen (his aide) used to go to the shops of locals, saying Baba has come directly to meet. People who had faith in his spiritual powers sought his blessings, kissed his palm and were paid Rs 500 each time,' the shopkeeper said, requesting anonymity. This unabashed display of riches and pomp was a phenomenon of recent years, though, Madhpur Gram Pradhan Amarnath Verma said. The eldest of the four sons of a farm labourer, from the neighbouring village of Rehra Mafi, Jamaluddin began his career as a 'healer' from a local shrine in Madhpur village. 'He used to sit on the ground with rings and other products outside the shrine, adjacent to his current sprawling residence in Madhpur. He also went around on a bicycle selling this wares to the villagers,' Verma told ThePrint. Eventually, he moved from bicycle to a motorcycle and then the Toyota Fortuner. These and his sprawling house, part of which has now been demolished by the local district administration after his arrest, are a visual manifestation of his rags to riches story. Jamaluddin's first break came in 2005, when he was elected Pradhan of Rehra Mafi, according to three villagers who spoke to ThePrint. The political rise, however, did not continue for consecutive terms, and he went back to his 'healing' business and selling rings. According to UP police officers, after losing the Pradhan's job in 2010, he visited Mumbai a few times and it was at this time that he met Mumbai-based couple Navin and Neetu Rohra at a Dargah. From the Sindhi community, the couple and their minor daughter were 'brainwashed' and converted to Islam, the UP Special Task Force has allegedly found in its preliminary probe. These conversions took place in November 2015 in Dubai, where they were issued a 'Certificate of Embracing Islam'. However, the UP STF, in its preliminary investigation, found that their travel dates to Dubai did not match their date of conversion in 2015. Moreover, their identification documents such as PAN and Passport are still in their original Hindu names, the STF has found. The same year, Jamaluddin's wife Kutubnisa won the panchayat election from his village, winning 360 out of 1,000 votes polled in the election as per records of the UP State Election Commission. By this time, Jamaluddin stayed mostly in his village, Rehra Mafi, except a trip to Saudi Arabia in 2018. Overall, through an analysis of information from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Lucknow, the UP STF found that Navin Rohra and Neetu alias Nasreen made 19 trips each to the UAE between 2016 and 2020 and 2014 and 2019, respectively. Rapid rise & Rapid unravelling Sources in the UP Police and villagers confirmed to ThePrint that the Baba's transformation started in the aftermath of the pandemic when the couple, Neetu alias Nasreen and Naveen, arrived in Utraula. Police officials and residents pointed out massive land deals in Balrampur, including one large residential campus in Madhpur village, which was bought and built over the last few years. Madhpur village pradhan Verma said that while high-end cars used to visit Baba at his Madhpur residence frequently, there was no clarity on either the extent of his syndicate or the source of his funds. 'Now that the agency has arrested him and we are looking at the reports, we can connect the dots of the story,' he told ThePrint in Madhpur, just metres from the Baba's campus. ThePrint had earlier reported that the Baba had local cops among his followers, and he extracted maximum advantage out of it to keep laws and agencies at bay. However, a tip-off to the STF in January 2024 set the ball rolling for criminal proceedings against him. By the time the STF shared its findings with the ATS in November 2024, it had allegedly unearthed an extensive network of agents and bank accounts used for the inflow of funds. The STF found that in eight bank accounts of Neetu alias Nasreen, there were credits and debits of Rs 13.90 crore and Rs 13.58 crore between February 2021 and June 2021. In one such bank account with the Bank of Baroda, there was a credit of Rs 5 crore from a foreign source, which the STF has flagged as suspicious. A similar scrutiny of Naveen Rohra's six bank accounts by the STF has revealed an inflow of Rs 16.22 crore through the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system and a cumulative amount of Rs 18.68 crore from the UAE. The UP STF has also scrutinised the eight bank accounts opened in the names of Chhangur's firms, such as Asvi Enterprises, Asvi Charitable Trust, Asipia Hassani Hussaini Collection, and Baba Tajuddin Asvi Boutique. However, the STF has been unable to scrutinise the six vostro accounts (bank accounts that a domestic bank holds for a foreign bank in the domestic bank's currency) of Navin Rohra, as per the report filed with the ATS for the registration of the case in November last year. Based on the FIR of UP ATS, the Enforcement Directorate opened an Enforcement Case Information Report on 9 July and scrutinised all the bank accounts linked to syndicate members and firms. In its investigation so far, the federal probe agency has found over Rs 60 crore in funding, mainly received from the Middle East, in 22 bank accounts of the syndicate members and firms. However, sources in the UP Police conceded 'a lot of unknown elements' about the syndicate as of now, such as the extent of the number of conversions carried out by the syndicate, as well as the involvement of funds from abroad. 'The accused and victims are giving us differing numbers of people converted and the amount of money received by the syndicate. In the interrogation, Jamaluddin has revealed some facts which need to be developed further. There are a lot of details on the extent of both funding and conversion which need to be investigated,' a UP Police officer said. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Conversion racket 'kingpin' Chhangur Baba had senior cops among his followers, global network of agents
