Natwarlal was a notorious Indian conman who was active in the 1937-1996. Natwarlal's modus operandi typically involved convincing wealthy individuals to invest in fake business schemes and promising high returns. He would also use his impersonation skills to gain the trust of his victims and convince them to hand over their money.
Over the course of his career, Natwarlal defrauded many people of large sums of money, including some of India's wealthiest businessmen. He was arrested several times, but his cunning and skillful escape tactics earned him the nickname "India's Greatest Conman."
Natwarlal's life and exploits have been the subject of numerous books, movies, and documentaries.
| Natwarlal | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava |
| Born | 1912 |
| Disappeared | 24 June 1996 New Delhi Railway Station, New Delhi, Delhi, India |
| Birth Place | Bangra, Siwan, Bihar |
| Occupation | Con man |
| Died | 25 July 2009 (aged 97) |
| Monuments | Statue in Bangra (Bangar) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Years active | 1937-1996 |
| Age | 97 |
Natwarlal Early Life
Natwarlal was born in 1912 in a small village called Bangra in the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, India. His family was poor, and he had to drop out of school at a young age to help support them.
As a young man, Natwarlal worked in various jobs, including as a clerk and a teacher. However, he soon turned to a life of crime and began conning people using his charm and quick wit. Natwarlal became known for his ability to impersonate officials and prominent personalities, and he used this skill to gain the trust of his victims.
Natwarlal's criminal activities brought him into conflict with the law, and he was arrested and imprisoned several times over the years. However, he was also known for his ability to escape from prison, and he earned a reputation as a masterful con artist and escape artist.
Overall, Natwarlal's early life was marked by poverty and a lack of opportunities. However, his remarkable skills as a con artist enabled him to gain notoriety and infamy as one of the most audacious and successful fraudsters in Indian history.
Career
Natwarlal's career was primarily focused on his criminal activities, which involved a variety of cons and scams. He was known for his ability to impersonate officials and prominent personalities and used this skill to gain the trust of his victims.
Natwarlal's cons were often audacious and involved large sums of money. He was particularly skilled at convincing people to part with their money using his charm, wit, and deceptive tactics. Some of his most famous cons include the sale of the Taj Mahal and the sale of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India.
Despite his many arrests and imprisonment, Natwarlal was also known for his ability to escape from prison. He reportedly escaped from custody at least eight times over the course of his career, using a variety of tactics such as forging release orders, using disguises, and bribing guards.
Natwarlal's criminal activities made him a notorious figure in India, and he became something of a folk hero, particularly in his home state of Bihar. Despite his reputation as a criminal, Natwarlal was also known for his generosity and his willingness to help those in need, particularly the poor and disadvantaged.
Legacy
Natwarlal, also known as "the king of confidence tricksters," left a lasting legacy in India and beyond. He is remembered not only for his ability to pull off elaborate cons but also for his charisma and charm.
Natwarlal's exploits have inspired several movies, TV shows, and books in India. One of the most popular movies based on his life is "Mr Natwarlal," which was released in 1979 and starred Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. The film was a huge success and helped to cement Natwarlal's reputation as a legendary conman.
In addition to his entertainment legacy, Natwarlal's cons also had a significant impact on the Indian legal system. His repeated successful escapes from police custody led to major reforms in the country's criminal justice system.
Today, Natwarlal's name is still synonymous with confidence tricks and his story continues to captivate people's imaginations. Although he was a criminal, he is still remembered as a colorful and larger-than-life figure in India's criminal history.
Natwarlal History
Natwarlal, whose real name was Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava, was born in 1912 in a small village in the Indian state of Bihar.
Natwarlal's life of crime began in the 1940s when he began forging documents and selling them for profit. He soon graduated to more elaborate schemes, including impersonating government officials to sell fake land titles and defraud people of their savings.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Natwarlal became notorious for his elaborate cons, which often involved impersonating high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats. He would convince wealthy businessmen to invest in fake businesses or schemes promising high returns, only to disappear with the money.
Despite being arrested numerous times, Natwarlal was known for his ability to escape from custody. He would often feign illness, bribe his way out of prison, or simply walk out of jail using forged release documents.
Natwarlal's most famous con was the sale of the Taj Mahal. In 1974, he convinced a wealthy businessman to buy the Taj Mahal, which he claimed was owned by the government and up for sale. The businessman paid millions of rupees for the Taj Mahal, only to discover later that he had been duped.
Natwarlal's life of crime came to an end in 1996 when he was finally arrested and sentenced to a prison term. He died in 2009. Despite his criminal activities, Natwarlal remains a popular figure in Indian folklore, admired for his cunning and daring escapades.
Natwarlal Net Worth
It is difficult to estimate Natwarlal's net worth as his criminal activities were focused on fraud and deception, not the accumulation of wealth. However, during his lifetime, he defrauded many people of large sums of money, including some of India's wealthiest businessmen, politicians, and bureaucrats.
Natwarlal's most famous con was the sale of the Taj Mahal, for which he received several million rupees. He was also known for his ability to evade authorities and escape from prison, which suggests that he may have hidden some of his ill-gotten gains.
Overall, it is difficult to put a precise figure on Natwarlal's net worth. However, it is clear that he accumulated a significant amount of money through his criminal activities over several decades.
How did Natwarlal sold Taj Mahal?
Natwarlal's sale of the Taj Mahal was one of his most famous cons. In 1974, he convinced a wealthy businessman that the Indian government was selling the Taj Mahal, which was a prominent landmark in Mumbai and a valuable property.
Natwarlal impersonated a government official and produced fake documents to convince businessman that the Taj Mahal was up for sale. businessman was persuaded and paid several million rupees to Natwarlal as a down payment for the purchase of the Taj Mahal. Natwarlal then disappeared with the money and was not heard from for several months.
When businessman realized that he had been duped, he filed a police complaint. Natwarlal was eventually arrested and charged with fraud, but he managed to escape from police custody while he was being transported to court. He was later arrested again in a different case, but he managed to escape from prison by using a forged release order.
Despite his many arrests, Natwarlal was known for his ability to evade authorities and continue his criminal activities. The sale of the Taj Mahal is one of his most famous and audacious cons, which highlights his remarkable ability to deceive even the most savvy and wealthy individuals.
Most Famous Scams
Some of his most famous scams include selling the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, and the Parliament House in Delhi to unsuspecting buyers. He even managed to sell the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India, to a wealthy businessman.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Natwarlal was a notorious and audacious con artist and fraudster from India who gained notoriety for his ability to impersonate officials and prominent personalities, and his skill at convincing people to part with large sums of money. Despite numerous arrests and imprisonments, he was also known for his ability to escape from custody, and his exploits made him something of a folk hero in India, particularly in his home state of Bihar. Natwarlal passed away in 2009 at the age of 97, marking the end of a remarkable and colorful life that had captured the imagination of people across India for decades.
