Overview

• Harsh Vardhan Jain was arrested on July 22 after police raided a rented bungalow in Ghaziabad and uncovered a fake embassy front for the unrecognised micronation Westarctica.
• An FIR under sections 318(4), 336(3), 338 and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita charges Jain with forgery, impersonation and cheating, and he has been in judicial custody since July 23.
• Authorities seized four luxury cars with forged diplomatic plates, 12 counterfeit passports, over two dozen seals and stamps, multiple fake IDs and large sums in Indian and foreign currency during the raid.
• Investigations reveal a complex web of shell companies across Gulf and European jurisdictions and possible links to a nearly Rs 300 crore scam involving hawala transfers.
• Police have identified more than half a dozen associates and are seeking extended remand to question Jain and his collaborators on their roles in the transnational fraud network.