A nation of one: Ghaziabad ‘fake embassy' case shines light on micronations and legal grey zones
The UP Special Task Force on July 22 arrested 47-year-old Harsh Vardhan Jain from Ghaziabad for running "embassies" of four micronations — Westarctica, Seborga, Poulbia and Ladonia — from a rented house.
Claiming to be their "ambassador," Jain possessed forged diplomatic plates, luxury cars and official seals. Police are probing alleged overseas job scams, hawala links and counterintelligence activities. Custody plea is pending in court. They are also examining statements by Westarctica and Seborga for possible use in the investigation.
"The problem is that there is no reference point for us also to deal with cases that involve something called a micronation," a senior UP police officer told PTI.
"The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is our medium for correspondence in cases that go beyond the territories of India, and here, these unrecognised entities don't have such a legal system in place," the officer said, noting the complexities of the matter.
The case not only exposed lapses in local intelligence systems but also turned attention to the peculiar world of micronations — a concept still largely outside academic and legal frameworks in India.
According to a 2014 research paper 'Islands and Micronationality' by academic Philip Hayward, "Micronations are largely notional entities. They are territories that have been declared independent by individuals or groups despite the minimal likelihood of their being recognised as independent by any established nation state or international body."
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