‘Not our envoy’: Two micronations & a US non-profit cut ties with fake diplomat held in Ghaziabad

In a detailed statement issued Wednesday, Seborga, an unrecognised micronation in Italy’s Liguria province, said Jain had approached them in 2012 and he was appointed “in good faith” to an honorary and symbolic role as ‘Councilor for India’. “It was always clearly explained to all Foreign Representatives that such appointments were purely symbolic and representative in nature, and did not confer any official or diplomatic status,” the Principality said.

Following reports of his arrest and the bust of his fake diplomatic setup, Seborga said it had taken immediate action.

“In light of the reports received, the Principality of Seborga has immediately suspended Mr Harsh Vardhan Jain from all positions and firmly distances itself from any potentially unlawful activities he may have carried out, of which the Principality was entirely unaware,” it said.

It added that Princess Nina, the Principality’s royal heiress, has personally reached out to all other Indian representatives of Seborga, all of whom confirmed that they were aware of the micronation’s non-recognised status and have been acting lawfully.

“Mr Jain was required to inform HSH Princess Nina in advance of any of his actions, as stipulated by Article 39 of the General Statutes of the Principality,” the statement said.
When The Indian Express had visited the ‘embassy’ running out of a rented flat in Ghaziabad’s Kavi Nagar, a small golden nameplate at the door introduced him as “His Excellency Harsh Vardhan Jain, Royale Consigliere, Principato di Seborga (Royal Advisor to Seborga)”.

Four cars parked outside bore fabricated diplomatic number plates and titles like “Honorary Consul Baron Westarctica” and “Honorary Consigliere Principato Di Seborga”.

Seborga clarified that even in Italy, the use of its symbolic number plates on vehicles has “no legal validity” and is “tolerated” only if the actual legal registration plate is visible to avoid any confusion.
US-based non-profit Westarctica, meanwhile, has distanced itself from Jain. Calling him a “bad actor”, it said he had once been an authorised representative but engaged in “unauthorised activities”.

Founded in 2001 by American national Travis McHenry, then serving as an intelligence analyst in the US Navy, Westarctica describes itself as an environmental advocacy group focused on protecting the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

In a statement, the organisation said: “In 2016, Mr H V Jain made a generous donation to Westarctica and was subsequently invited to join our team of international volunteers who advance our environmental and charitable mission in their home countries. His official title was ‘Honorary Consul to India.’ He was never granted the position or authority of ambassador.”

The non-profit clarified that it “does not utilise number plates or passports” and has “never permitted or encouraged our representatives to do so themselves”.

Referring to Jain’s Ghaziabad residence, the group said: “By calling his home an ‘embassy’, Mr Jain was in violation of Westarctica’s protocol for representatives.”

“As a result of his unauthorised activities, Mr. Jain has been indefinitely suspended as a representative of our organisation,” the statement added.

It is now conducting a full audit of their Honorary Consular Corps to ensure that no similar ‘bad actors’ are present among their ranks.

The Royal Republic of Ladonia, a micronation in southern Sweden, confirmed to The Indian Express that Jain was never officially appointed to any honorary, representative, or diplomatic position by its government.

In a detailed response, Ladonia’s Press Officer, Julia Andersson, said Jain became a “symbolic citizen” on November 12, 2016, and “purchased” an honorary barony title, which is “cultural and symbolic only,” conferring no legal rights or diplomatic standing.

The micronation alleged that in November 2017, Jain had forged a certificate falsely claiming to be Ladonia’s Ambassador to India, backdating it to September 15, 2016, in an attempt to predate the symbolic appointment of another Indian individual.

According to Anderson, Ladonia received complaints about Jain and accused him of “harassing” Ladonian officials for over a year via email and social media in an attempt to pressure the government to recognise him. “His messages also requested free flags and other paraphernalia to use in India, which were refused. He has never purchased official Ladonian merchandise. Ladonia holds registered trademarks on its name, flag, and emblems; therefore, any items he created or displayed using Ladonia’s symbols are counterfeit and unauthorised,” Anderson said.

“Mr Jain has no official standing with Ladonia. His symbolic citizenship remains purely honorary, and he has no role or authority of any kind. Ladonia currently has no diplomats, consular officials, or missions in India,” Anderson stated.

According to the UP Special Task Force, which busted his racket, Jain allegedly used a carefully crafted setup — the fake embassy, cars with fake diplomatic plates, morphed photographs of him with Prime Ministers and Presidents – to con businessmen and launder money.

In its statement, the STF had said Jain’s financial operations dated back nearly two decades — he had registered multiple shell companies abroad and maintained at least 11 bank accounts in four countries.