Ghaziabad: In a bizarre yet troubling case from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, the STF has busted a full-fledged fake embassy being run by Harshvardhan Jain, an MBA graduate from London turned highflying fraudster. Operating out of a rented home in the posh Kavi Nagar area, Jain wasn’t just impersonating an official he had allegedly “founded” four non-existent nations: West Arctic, Saborga, Pulawavia, and Lodonia, where he appointed himself their “Consul Ambassador”.
STF officials seized four VIP number luxury vehicles, 34 fake stamps from various “foreign ministries,” 18 diplomatic number plates, over ₹44 lakh in cash, and fake documents adorned with bogus seals of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
To enhance his diplomatic illusion, Jain allegedly photoshopped himself with national leaders and roamed around in “official” cars, duping aspirants looking for jobs abroad and laundering money through shell companies. He also possessed 12 forged “diplomatic passports” of fictitious micronations and even created fake press and PAN cards.
Despite living just meters from high-ranking officials' offices, Jain operated undetected for years. His tragicomic empire finally collapsed after central agencies verified STF’s tip off and exposed his international charade complete with flags, embassies, and dreams sold at a premium.
Turns out, in Ghaziabad, you don’t need a country to run an embassy. Just a bit of Photoshop, some old stamps, and a lot of misplaced ambition.
Who is Harshvardhan?
Harshvardhan Jain's story begins in the marble dust of Rajasthan, where his father JD Jain built a business empire spanning railings factories and mining operations. The family's Indira Marbles and JD Marbles exported stone to London - an early glimpse of the international connections that would later define Harshvardhan's dubious career.
Born into industrial wealth in Ghaziabad, Jain's life took a turn in 2000 when he allegedly met controversial spiritual figure Chandraswami in London. This introduction opened doors to Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi's associate Ehsan Ali Sayed. Together, police claim they established 12 shell companies used for hawala transactions.
By 2006, Jain had relocated to Dubai's Umm Al Quwain, aided by a cousin. There, court documents show he partnered with Hyderabad-based Shafiq and Dubai resident Ibrahim Ali bin Sharma to expand his operations.
Jain's alleged reinvention as a "diplomat" began in 2012 when he became an advisor to Seborga - an Italian village that declares itself a micronation. He later claimed positions with the self-proclaimed governments of West Arctica and Poldivia Lodossia, using these titles to lend credibility to his fake embassy operation.
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