Posing as the Ambassador of Westarctica and other micronations, Harshvardhan Jain had allegedly promised businessmen that he would make them the counsellors of these micronations besides facilitating their business deals in European countries, the police probe into the conman has revealed.
To further his fraud, the 45-year-old would allegedly take money amounting to lakhs from businessmen, and provide them with fake certificates from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and fake diplomatic number plates for their vehicles, police stated.
In July, the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (STF) had arrested Jain and busted his fake embassy operating from a rented double-storey bungalow in Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar.
These details are part of the 800-page chargesheet filed by the STF at a city court in Ghaziabad on October 18. The court took cognizance on October 22. It names 34 witnesses, which include the businessmen, sources said.
When contacted, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), STF, Navendu Kumar Naveen confirmed that the chargesheet was filed at the city court on October 18 but the probe still continues.
The fake embassy he operated from a rented double-storey bungalow in Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar. (Express Photo Archive)
According to police, the probe found that Jain was in touch with the royal princes and presidents of five self-proclaimed micronations — Seborga, Lotisland, Westarctica, Ladonia and Poulo Wai — and would pose as their ambassadors and diplomats to influence businessmen.
According to sources, the probe suggested that he had promised over 12 businessmen from various states — Gujarat, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi — that he would make them counsellors of these micronations. “He had also promised to give them certificates from the MEA and diplomatic number plates for their vehicles,” a source said.
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Police stated that they contacted all five micronations during the probe, but received a response from only two of them. “Correspondence that the police received stated that Jain was never granted the position of ambassador or diplomat by these micronations. In fact, his appointments were symbolic in nature,” the source said.
The Indian Express earlier reported that Jain allegedly projected himself as “a globe-trotting diplomat”. A small golden nameplate at the door of his Kavi Nagar bungalow had introduced him as “His Excellency Harsh Vardhan Jain, Royale Consigliere, Principato di Seborga” — the Royal Advisor to Seborga, an unrecognised micronation in Italy’s Liguria province. On the bungalow’s balcony and roof, fake flags were put up, including one with a white cross on a blue field and another featuring a royal crown and shield.
Cars, with fake diplomatic number plates, that were seized from Jain parked at Kavi Nagar Police station in Ghaziabad. (Express Photo)
During the probe, police also found that Jain had visited over 40 countries multiple times over the past 10 years, including the UK, UAE, Mauritius, Turkey, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Switzerland, Poland, Sri Lanka, and Belgium.
Police investigation stated that evidence suggests Jain had allegedly made money through shell companies by offering business deals related to arms trading and export of tea and textiles to European countries.
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Police also said Jain admitted to having worked closely with controversial figures such as godman Chandraswami and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi during his time in London in 2008. After returning to India in 2012, he claimed to have taken up liaison work for business deals.
The police, in its chargesheet, also named Jain’s father-in-law and brother-in-law as accused for tampering with evidence during the STF raids at his fake embassy.
The Indian Express earlier reported that two micronations — Seborga and Ladonia — and US-based charitable organisation Westarctica had cut all ties with Jain.
