Fake embassy scam: Ghaziabad man held for running elaborate diplomatic hoax

In a case that could rival the plot of a political crime thriller, Harshvardhan Jain, a 47-year-old resident of Ghaziabad, has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating one of the most elaborate fake embassy operations uncovered in India.

Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF) dismantled the sham on Monday, bringing to light a years-long deception that had quietly flourished in a posh neighbourhood of Kavi Nagar.

According to investigators, Jain posed as a high-ranking diplomat representing various unrecognised "micronations", including Westarctica, Seborga, Poulbia and Londonia – fictitious entities that hold no legal standing under international law.

He adorned his Kavi Nagar bungalow with national flags, parked luxury cars bearing counterfeit diplomatic number plates outside, and went so far as to title himself “H.E. HV Jain” – a styling conventionally reserved for genuine ambassadors.

Police sources described the setup as an extraordinary “theatre of deception”, complete with forged Ministry of External Affairs documents, morphed photographs showing Jain with global leaders, and over a dozen counterfeit diplomatic passports.

The façade was reportedly used to lure aspiring job-seekers with false promises of overseas employment and to woo businesspersons with offers of international deals and government contracts abroad.

The operation, which dates back to at least 2017, was allegedly run under the guise of charity events and diplomatic outreach. The STF’s late-night raid on Jain’s premises revealed a trove of forged items, including 18 fake diplomatic number plates, 12 fake passports, 34 fabricated official seals, and multiple forged MEA documents.

Officers also recovered nearly Rs 45 lakh in cash, significant amounts of foreign currency, forged press IDs, fake PAN cards, luxury watches, and electronic devices suspected to have aided the scam.

Harshvardhan Jain hails from an affluent background. His family previously operated a successful marble business in Rajasthan, but a series of financial setbacks reportedly altered their fortunes.

Educated at ITS College in Ghaziabad and the London College of Applied Science, Jain holds dual MBAs. His trajectory, however, shifted following the death of his father and deepening business troubles.

Crucially, Jain was said to be close to the late godman Chandraswami – a figure himself often surrounded by controversy. Reports suggest that Jain’s relocation to London, where he mingled with influential business figures and was allegedly linked to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, was facilitated by Chandraswami.

Jain later set up companies in London and Dubai, which have now come under the scanner for suspected money laundering and hawala transactions.

This is not Jain’s first run-in with the law. In 2012, he faced charges under the Telegraph Act for illegal possession of a satellite phone. Investigators are currently exploring whether his recent activities were part of a larger network involving overseas operatives, or if he functioned largely alone.

A fresh FIR has been registered against him, and the case has now been handed over to the Kavi Nagar Police for further investigation. Authorities are also coordinating with central agencies to explore the international dimensions of this unprecedented diplomatic fraud.