GHAZIABAD: A 66-year-old former Vice-Chancellor who had successfully passed himself off as the ‘High Commissioner’ of Oman for nearly a year was arrested on Thursday after a single designation error exposed his elaborate fraud.

The imposter, identified as Dr. (Prof) K S Rana, had been enjoying VIP security, diplomatic privileges, and official protocol at multiple events across India until the Ghaziabad Police Commissionerate spotted a crucial flaw in his request for security arrangements—Oman is not a Commonwealth country and therefore does not have a High Commissioner.

The unravelling began when the Ghaziabad Police Commissioner, Ajay Kumar Mishra, received a letter on Tuesday requesting protocol for “Dr (Prof) K S Rana, High Commissioner of the Sultanate of Oman (Muscat).” At first, the request seemed routine, as security is often arranged for senior diplomats.

However, two red flags immediately caught the commissioner’s attention: Oman does not have a ‘High Commissioner’—the title is exclusive to Commonwealth nations, and the diplomatic security requests must go through the Ministry of External Affairs, not directly to local authorities.

Upon further verification, police confirmed that Rana was not affiliated with the Omani government and had been impersonating a diplomat since August 2024.

To lure him out, the police played along with the ruse. They informed Rana’s office that his security arrangements had been approved for an “important meeting” in Kaushambi, Ghaziabad, on Thursday. When he arrived at the location, he was met by a police team, questioned, and taken into custody.

Investigations revealed that Rana had held prestigious academic positions, serving as Vice-Chancellor of:
Kumaun University (2018-2020)
Uttarakhand Residential University (2020-2021)
Mewar University (2021-2022)
University of Technology, Jaipur (2024 for a few months)
Additionally, he had headed the Department of Zoology and Environmental Science at Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Agra and previously worked with the Ministry of Environment’s Appraisal Authority.

His fraudulent diplomatic persona evolved from a ‘Trade Commissioner’ position at a Bengaluru-based NGO in 2024, which he gradually upgraded to ‘High Commissioner of Oman’ on paper.

Rana milked his fake status for privileges, attending events as a foreign dignitary, securing VIP security at Mathura and Faridabad, and even posing as Oman’s High Commissioner at an awards function in Delhi on February 22.

To solidify his deception, he installed a fake blue diplomatic number plate on his Mercedes GL 350, added a blue beacon to the vehicle and affixed stickers of the Sultanate of Oman and the World Human Rights Protection Commission.

Following his arrest, police seized his vehicle and filed an FIR at Kaushambi Police Station under sections 319(2) (cheating), 318(4) (fraud), and 336(3) (document forgery for fraud) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

His so-called “private secretary,” Dev Kumar, who assisted in orchestrating the fraud, remains at large.