In a tale that sounds stranger than fiction, Ghaziabad’s Dr. KS Rana landed behind bars for impersonating a foreign diplomat — a scam strikingly similar to the recently exposed case of Harshvardhan Jain, who had set up fake embassies of four countries. Arrested in March 2025, Dr. Rana falsely claimed to be the High Commissioner of the Sultanate of Oman, seeking protocol and police protection during a so-called “personal visit” to Ghaziabad. His elaborate deception, however, came undone due to a single technical mistake.
Dr. Rana, who had previously held prestigious academic positions as Vice Chancellor of two universities and had worked with an NGO, had developed a penchant for VIP treatment. Often seen riding in a Mercedes GL 350 CDI fitted with red-blue beacon lights and a fake diplomatic number plate, he presented himself as an elite diplomat deserving of security detail and privileges.
The unraveling began when Rana sent a letter to the Ghaziabad District Administration, claiming to be Oman’s High Commissioner and requesting official security for his stay. But the letter contained a critical flaw: it used the title "High Commissioner" for Oman, a non-Commonwealth nation. This title is reserved for diplomats from Commonwealth countries, whereas Oman's envoy would rightly be called an "Ambassador".
This subtle but serious blunder caught the attention of SSP Ajay Kumar Mishra, who decided to verify the claim with the Oman Embassy. The embassy swiftly confirmed that no such person existed in their diplomatic roster. Adding to the deceit, Rana had personally addressed his request to the local police, bypassing the Ministry of External Affairs — a violation of protocol that exposed his fraudulent scheme further.
Upon his arrest, police seized the luxury vehicle he was using, only to discover that it belonged to someone else and was fitted with a fake number plate. The red-blue lights, intended to simulate a diplomatic vehicle, sealed the case against him.
Dr. KS Rana’s arrest paints a bizarre picture of how easily titles and symbols of power can be misused — and how attention to detail and basic diplomatic knowledge helped law enforcement catch a man living a grand lie. While Rana is now in jail, his story serves as a chilling reminder of the lengths some individuals go to build false empires of prestige and deception.
