Latest news with #NoidaSTF
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
‘Baron of Westarctica', Ghaziabad fake diplomat was frequent flier to UK & Dubai
Ghaziabad: The 'baron of Westarctica' was a globetrotter, having travelled abroad 200 times and visiting 30 countries, STF's investigation into the man who ran a fake embassy in Ghaziabad for nine years has found. Harshvardhan Jain, who bestowed on himself fictitious titles from obscure micronations, installed flags to make his Kavi Nagar bungalow the impression of an embassy and had cars with diplomatic number plates parked on the compound, was a frequent flier to the UK and Dubai. The STF has found 25 shell companies registered by Jain and 10 foreign bank accounts in his name. SP (Noida STF) Raj Kumar Mishra said Jain, during his stay at the UK, had come close to India-born Turkish businessman Ahsan Ali Syed, who was arrested in London on Nov 22, 2022, for perpetrating a million-dollar loan fraud between Sept 2010 and May 2011. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida Syed, who was later extradited to Switzerland, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison by a local court for fraud and fleeing after collecting brokerage money in the name of securing loans for 16 companies. "Together, Jain and Syed had registered several companies abroad, including State Trading Corporation Ltd and East India Company UK Ltd in the UK, Island General Trading Co LLC in the UAE, Indira Overseas Ltd in Mauritius and Cameron Ispat Sarl in Cameroon, Africa," the officer said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ready for a Glow-Up? [Get Your Reading Now] Learn More Undo Glow-Up Packages from $15 [Sign Up] Learn More Undo Affect Your Future Now! (Book Today) Learn More Undo The STF is now investigating whether these were shell companies used for illicit activities like money laundering, tax evasion or fraud. A blue corner notice may be issued against Jain to understand more about his criminal activities abroad. Also under scanner are two PAN cards recovered during the raid on Jain's bungalow number KB-45 and bank accounts linked to these. Investigators said Jain had six bank accounts in Dubai (UAE), three in the UK and one each in Mauritius and India. More than Rs 23 lakh was deposited in his account at Punjab National Bank's Ghaziabad branch over the last two to three years, another senior officer said. The money was later transferred to other bank accounts. Cops are now probing the money trail and have sought details from the banks. Investigators found that three of the four cars with diplomatic registration plates recovered from the house are over 15 years old and were used for hawala operations. Earlier, cops told TOI that a Mercedes bearing diplomatic registration plates that read 'honorary consul baron Westarctica' found parked outside Jain's bungalow was owned by his father-in-law, Anand Jain. Another car with an 'honorary consigliere principato di Seborga' registration plate was jointly owned by Ghanshyam Jain of Ghaziabad and Amit Shukla of Hardoi. Two other cars seized from the house, both with diplomatic registration plates, are owned by Bhavesh Dugar of Delhi and another by Indra Business Private Limited, Delhi. Cops believe the lavish bungalow, morphed photographs with global leaders, high-end cars were all used as a ruse by Jain to cheat job seekers and businesses by offering fake overseas placements and deals, while also running a hawala network through shell firms. "He lived lavishly, hiring 4-5 bouncers for parties and over 10 when hosting influential business guests," a senior officer said. A diary recovered during the raid lists hundreds of names, contact details, and money-related entries. "We've prepared questions based on the diary and will question Jain once we get custody," the SP added. Two house helpers, Ishwar Singh and Hemant Kumar Rajvanshi, have been made witnesses in the case.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Fake diplomat at work: Flags and high-end cars
Special superintendent of police (STF) Sushil Ghule said central agencies were on the lookout for Jain, but it was an anonymous tipoff that took the STF to bungalow number KB-45 in Kavi Nagar at 10pm on Tuesday. Over the next seven hours — the raid continued till 3pm on Wednesday — the team scanned and seized volumes of documents, allegedly linked to an elaborate job scam and the hawala money network. "Jain had morphed photos to show him in the company of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former President APJ Abdul Kalam. He had padded the house with flags of foreign nations. The cars parked in front embellished the appearance of the house as an important compound." SP (Noida STF) Raj Kumar Mishra told TOI that during interrogation, Jain claimed that he was appointed an adviser to the 'principality of Seborga', which is a self-proclaimed principality in the Italian riviera, in 2012. He also claimed that in 2016, the Grand Duchy of Westarctica — another micronation in western Antarctica — appointed him honorary ambassador. Jain made similar claims for Ladonia, a micronation in Sweden, and Paulovia, which seems to be a name cooked up by him. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida Micronations, to be clear, are not sovereign countries and aren't recognised entities. Micronations are distinct from microstates, such as Liechtenstein or Vatican City, whose sovereignty over extremely small territories and populations is internationally recognised. According to investigators, Jain started to operate his 'embassy' from his parents' property — bungalow number KB-35 — in the same colony in 2016. "For nine years, he operated out of this house before shifting to KB-45, which is owned by a person called Sushil Kumar," Mishra said, adding cops were yet to ascertain how many people Jain may have cheated during this period and what his exact modus operandi was. "He used the fake designations to draw people into conversations and gradually offered them jobs in foreign companies. He would later charge them by offering help to open overseas bank accounts or purchase properties. We are investigating his connections with gangsters abroad," Mishra said. The STF indicated he had contacts abroad, but it's yet to be ascertained how many people, if he indeed did, send abroad. The STF found in his possession 18 fake diplomatic number plates, 12 forged diplomatic passports from these micronations, fake documents carrying the seal of the foreign ministry, two forged PAN cards and 34 rubber stamps of various countries and organisations. "We also found Rs 44 lakh in cash, assorted foreign currencies, and 12 imported luxury watches," Ghule said. An FIR has been registered against Jain at Kavi Nagar police station under BNS Sections 318 (4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 336 (3) (forgery for purpose of cheating), 338 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.) and 340 (2) (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record). He was sent to police custody by a local court.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Fake Ghaziabad diplomat partnered with UK bizman to set up brokerage firms: STF
Ghaziabad: Harshvardhan Jain, a fake diplomat arrested on Wednesday for running a fake embassy out of a plush, two-storey bungalow in Kavi Nagar, is a wealthy businessman's son who studied abroad. Jain completed his BBA from a private college in Ghaziabad before heading to London for an MBA. "His father JD Jain is an industrialist. He owned marble mines in Rajasthan and exported the stones to London," SP (Noida STF) Raj Kumar Mishra told TOI. Mishra said Jain had come into contact with Chandraswami, the astrologer and controversial spiritual adviser to former PMs, in 2000. "It was through these links that Harshvardhan met Chandraswami in 2000," said Mishra. Police believe Chandraswami introduced Jain to Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and India-born Turkish national Ahsan Ali Syed. Together with Syed, Jain allegedly set up over a dozen brokerage firms in the UK. In 2006, he shifted base to Dubai's Umm Al-Quwain through a cousin living there. There, he partnered with Hyderabad-based Shafiq and Dubai's Ibrahim Ali-Bin-Shaarma to float more firms, ostensibly offering overseas job placements and business deals. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Police suspect these ventures were fronts for financial crimes and potentially illegal arms deals. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida "Jain travelled across Gulf and African nations during this period, engaging in various forms of brokerage," Mishra said. In 2012, Ghaziabad police recovered a satellite phone from Jain, leading to a case under the Telegraph Buyers Unlawful Possession Act. Though arrested, he was released on bail within months. Investigations are now under way to determine if he was involved in arms trafficking or other illicit international dealings. Locals in Kavi Nagar, where Jain was living, expressed surprise. "He had personal guards and a luxury car. A police post is just 100 metres away. None of us imagined a conman lived among us," said Amit Gupta, general secretary of the local RWA. Gupta added that Jain's father, who lives just 50 metres away, is well-known and respected in the neighbourhood. "We assumed Harshvardhan was managing the family business," he added. Police have found the Mercedes with a diplomatic number plate found parked outside the bungalow is owned by Jain's father-in-law Anand Jain. Another car with an 'honorary consigliere principato di Seborga' registration plate is jointly owned by Ghanshyam Jain of Ghaziabad and Amit Shukla of Hardoi. The two other cars seized from the house, both with diplomatic registration plates, are owned by Bhavesh Dugar of Delhi and another by Indra Business Private Limited. Delhi. Cops are trying to find out how Jain got access to these cars.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Time of India
Illegal liquor operation busted in Bijnor, 3 held
Bijnor: In a coordinated operation, the Noida STF and Bijnor police raided a roadside eatery on the Haridwar-Kashipur highway under the Rehar police station, uncovering a major illegal ethanol and liquor distribution network. During the operation on Thursday night, the team seized a tanker containing 20,000 litres of ethanol, along with 760 litres of illicit liquor stored in 19 cans. Three cars were also confiscated at the site. Authorities arrested Sunil Kumar, Ram Singh, and Guddu. The eatery is owned by Liaqat Hussain, a resident of Jaspur in Uttarakhand, and was leased to Sunil, who has a previous record of involvement in unlawful activities, said police. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused had been stealing ethanol from the IGL company plant in Kashipur. The stolen ethanol, meant for pharmaceutical companies, was being diverted for illegal liquor production. Based on a complaint by UP STF Inspector Sachin Kumar, a case was registered against four additional suspects identified as Sukhvinder alias Sethi, Bhup Singh, a loading worker at IGL, and two other unidentified individuals under BNS sections 3(5) (common intention), 303(2) (theft), 317(2) (receiving or retaining stolen property), 274 (adulteration), 275 (selling or offering for sale noxious food or drink), and sections 60 and 72 of the Excise Act. Bijnor SP Abhishek Jha said that during interrogation, it was revealed that Guddu is a container driver with New Dashmesh Transport Company. Along with Bhup Singh, Guddu had been getting the vehicle filled with extra ethanol. He would then deliver the ethanol to Ram Singh. Ram Singh supplied the ethanol to Sukhwinder, and in return, received his share of the money and handed it over to Guddu and Sunil. Sukhwinder then adulterated the ethanol to make poisonous liquor, which he sold under various brand names. Two other drivers from New Dashmesh Transport Company are also involved in similar ethanol theft operations. Authorities have received information about adulterated liquor and packing material stored at several of Sukhwinder's hideouts, and necessary actions are being taken.
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Noida: 3 arrested for duping NEET aspirants
Three men, including a PhD scholar, have been arrested by Noida unit of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF) for allegedly duping NEET-Undergraduate aspirants by offering them an easy way to pass the exam in exchange for ₹5 lakh, police said on Monday. The suspects were identified as Vikram Kumar Shah, the PhD scholar, and Aniket Kumar, both residents of Laxmi Nagar, Delhi, and Dharmpal Singh, a resident of Sagarpur, Delhi, all in their 30s, police said. 'On May 3, we received a tip-off that a few people, operating an office in Sector 3, Noida, were demanding money from parents for an easy way for their children to clear the NEET exam, scheduled for May 4. We gathered more evidence and raided the office,' said additional superintendent of police (Noida STF) Raj Kumar Mishra. 'It was found that the suspects had allegedly created a fake website and were charging ₹5 lakh for their services to help students pass exams like NEET,' he added. Investigators said that during interrogation the suspects revealed that in 2011, when Shah went to study biotechnology at a university in Chennai from his hometown Darbhanga in Bihar, he met Kumar, a biotechnology graduate. They started offering admissions at the same college for a 30% commission. 'After completing their post-graduation from the university in Chennai, they came to Delhi in 2016 and met Singh, a graduate from a university in Shahjahanpur, UP. Together, they created a fake website called 'Admission View'. Initially, they targeted MBBS candidates, charging ₹5 lakh. But as complaints against their website rose, they launched another website and shifted operations to Noida,' said Addl SP Mishra. Modus Operandi After accessing candidates' data online, the accused would contact them and take an ₹80,000 advance from them. The accused told candidates to appear for the exam and answer only those questions they could solve in the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet and leave the rest blank, promising to fill in the correct answers later by secretly accessing the OMR sheet. If the candidate passed the exam, the accused would claim credit and take the rest of the money from them. If the candidate failed, the accused would end all contact with them and change their office address, police said. Police recovered 10 phones, two fake Aadhaar cards, a datasheet of 3,000 NEET aspirants, a premium laptop, and a Toyota Fortuner. Police are probing how many were duped by the accused. A case has been registered under Sections 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation), 336 (forgery), 337 (forgery of record), 338 (forgery of valuable security), 349 (forged electronic documents), and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of BNS.
