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Saturday, February 21, 2026
TopicUP STF

Topic: UP STF

Ghaziabad’s ‘Westarctica envoy’ was planning Dubai polo league, with sports, film stars as ‘patrons’

UP STF found brochure of proposed league from a laptop recovered during raid against Harsh Vardhan. STF will contact celebrities to ask if their photos were used with their consent.

Micronation drama unfolds, Westarctica’s ‘grand duke’ suspends Ghaziabad man as ‘representative’

Ghaziabad man Harsh Vardhan was arrested by the UP STF earlier this week for running a fake embassy of unrecognised micronations including Westarctica.

‘Westarctica envoy’ running Ghaziabad ‘embassy’ made 100 foreign trips in last 20 yrs—UP STF

He frequently visited the UAE and UK. He also made at least 6 trips to Seborga, an unrecognised principality in Italy’s Liguria province, of which he claimed to be ambassador.

A digital arrest kingpin tells all: Chinese syndicates, Cambodian scam farms & the perfect trap

In Part 1 of this two-part series, ThePrint looks at an Alwar man who got involved with Chinese-run ‘digital arrest’ scam farms in Cambodia and ended up recruiting for them in India.

60-yr-old Imrana held for ‘dealing bombs’ in Muzaffarnagar, family refutes cops’ 2013 riots theory

Imrana was arrested on basis of statement by man who claimed he was on his way to her house to deliver IEDs. Her family says rioters burnt down their house in 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

Student leader to Purvanchal bahubali — who was Vinod Upadhyay, killed in encounter with UP STF

Vinod Kumar Upadhyay enjoyed patronage of Hari Shankar Tiwari & had at least 35 criminal cases lodged against him in police stations across UP between 1999 and November 2023.

Pics with Modi & Yogi, his own OSD & gunner — how ‘rail panel member conned public of crores’

Anoop Chaudhary appointed an OSD and managed to get a gunner from Ghaziabad Police. He has 9 cases against him in UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan. Also claimed to be a BJP member.

On Camera

Cautious optimism — India’s new relationship with Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh

Both Bangladesh and India will have to work together to repair the damage done during the Yunus administration.

In the West, there’s anxiety. In India, optimism—Rishi Sunak says India poised to be leader in AI

On Wednesday, the former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was speaking in New Delhi at a Carnegie & Observer Research Foundation event on AI.

Embraer moves full throttle in pursuit of IAF contract, ties up with Hindalco after Adani

IAF is firming up plans to revamp airlift capabilities with medium transport aircraft that will be assembled in India & serve as its main workhorse. Embraer is leading contender as of now.

The new Great Game—Trump’s playing for time, China for leverage & India for wiggle room

This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.