Reliance Group, Hindustan Ltd: ‘Westarctica ambassador’ named shell companies after major Indian firms, UP Police find
The Uttar Pradesh Police have taken custody of Harsh Vardhan Jain and are likely to question him on his 25 shell companies, bank accounts, and his frequent foreign tours.
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Harsh Vardhan Jain was arrested last week by Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force that claimed to have uncovered a complex international financial network. (Express photo)Harsh Vardhan Jain, the man accused of running a fake embassy in Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar area, allegedly named his shell companies after prominent Indian firms and public sector undertakings (PSUs).
Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group PLC, Reliance Big Pictures, Reliance Capital Limited, Reliance Big Entertainment Limited and Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited were some of the names used, sources in the Uttar Pradesh Police said.
“This helped him present his work as legitimate in other countries,” a source said. A majority of these companies were reportedly in England.
On Tuesday, the UP Police took custody of Jain, who claimed to be the ambassador of ‘Westarctica’, for five days in connection with the fraud and cheating case. According to police sources, the police had sought to question Jain about several bank accounts, 25 shell companies, and his frequent foreign tours, all of which are now under the scanner for alleged links to a larger hawala racket.
Jain was arrested last week by Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force that claimed to have uncovered a complex international financial network — stretching from marble mines in Rajasthan to banks in Dubai, Mauritius, and the UK.
A source said that two people have come forward claiming to have given money to Jain on the pretext of getting jobs in Iraq. One was from Uttar Pradesh and another from Delhi, the source added. The police are verifying their claims.
A police officer privy to the investigation stated that, so far, evidence suggests Jain made money through his shell companies by offering fake business deals and promising jobs to people in foreign countries. The police team is currently trying to determine the number of people he may have cheated.
The probe has allegedly revealed that Jain had 12 diplomatic passports and had visited around 40 countries over the past 10 years. These countries include the UK, UAE, Mauritius, Turkey, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Switzerland, Poland, Sri Lanka, and Belgium.
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