In an extraordinary case of deception, Indian police have arrested a man for operating a fake embassy from a rented bungalow in Ghaziabad, a city bordering the capital, New Delhi.
The suspect, Harshvardhan Jain, 47, posed as a diplomat representing various unrecognized “micronations” and used the elaborate setup to defraud people and run illegal operations for nearly eight years.
Jain, who also went by the self-styled title “Baron H.V. Jain,” is accused of masquerading as an ambassador for obscure micronations like Westarctica, the Principality of Seborga, and Poulbia Lodonia — self-declared sovereign entities that lack international recognition.
The scam, police say, was sophisticated in appearance yet astonishingly bold in execution. Jain rented a residential property, adorned it with international flags, luxury vehicles bearing fake diplomatic license plates, and filled it with doctored photographs of himself with world leaders, official-looking stamps, and forged documents from foreign ministries and embassies.
Thai-Cambodia Conflict Escalates as Diplomacy Collapses and Border Burns
According to Sushil Ghule, Senior Superintendent of Police with Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force, the premises also contained 12 counterfeit passports, 20 fake diplomatic number plates, forged seals of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, and a cache of foreign currencies totaling over 4.5 million Indian rupees (approximately $52,000 USD).
“An undiscerning layman will believe what he sees and cannot tell that it’s all fraudulent,” said Ghule, describing how Jain created the “aura” of an influential international figure.
Jain’s impersonation was legitimized in part by actual affiliations at least on paper with some micronations. The micronation of Westarctica, which claims territory in Antarctica and was founded in 2001 by American Travis McHenry (self-styled as “Grand Duke Travis”), confirmed that Jain was once appointed an honorary consul to India after making a “generous donation.”
However, following news of his arrest, Westarctica issued a statement distancing itself from Jain, stating that he was engaging in “unauthorized activities” and had been removed from their roster of diplomatic representatives. Grand Duke Travis also confirmed that Jain had been in unauthorized possession of Westarctica-branded passports, license plates, and seals.
India’s Diplomacy Tested in Kashmir Ceasefire as Pakistan Finance Minister Downplays Fiscal Impact
Despite the apparent ties, Indian police say they have not reached out to Westarctica or other micronations involved in their investigation at least not yet.
According to investigators, Jain held an M.B.A. from a university in London and had a well-traveled past, reportedly operating questionable companies across multiple countries before returning to India. He was previously booked in 2012 for illegally possessing a satellite phone, which is restricted in India.
The suspect is believed to have used his fake diplomatic status to lure people with promises of overseas employment, as well as to operate a hawala network an informal and illegal money transfer system. Charges against him now include forgery, impersonation, money laundering, and possession of counterfeit documents.
Micronations like Westarctica and Seborga, while often seen as harmless eccentricities or novelty projects, have found themselves thrust into the spotlight with this case. While most have no legal standing, their trappings of statehood flags, passports, and honorary titles can be exploited by fraudsters to deceive unsuspecting individuals.
Rwanda Cuts Diplomatic Ties with Belgium
As the investigation continues, police are trying to determine the full extent of Jain’s operations, the scope of financial fraud, and whether any international connections played a larger role.
Meanwhile, the bizarre saga raises serious questions about how easily appearances of diplomatic legitimacy can be faked and just how little it might take to set up your own “embassy” in India.
