World’s biggest Conman once sold Taj Mahal THRICE, even sold Rashtrapati Bhavan, Red Fort, forged Tata, Birla, Ambani, President’s signature, his name was…

Who doesn’t know  Natwarlal? Natwarlal has committed many thefts and frauds during his lifetime. Natwarlal was one such con-artist who was well-known throughout India and still is today due to his cleverness and boldness in scamming innocent civilians. Not only did he scam thousands of people, but he also sold three of India’s most famous monuments and many of its important government buildings multiple times.

In order to execute his many thefts and frauds, Natwarlal used so many aliases that it has been estimated that he used at least 50 aliases aside from his real name of Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava. With these many aliases, Nathwarlal completed many scams.

Natwarlal’s first crime was to steal his first 1000 rupees. Natwarlal was an expert forger. He had the ability to accurately replicate anyone’s handwriting and signature. His first crime was to take 1000 rupees from his neighbor’s bank account using a forged signature.

These fictitious identities allowed him to perpetrate several major scams across the nation. Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava, also known as Natwarlal, was born in 1912 in the village of Bangra, located in the Siwan district. He was born into a family that was working for the railways, his father being a stationmaster. He first realised he had an exceptional knack for being able to replicate somebody else’s signature after he obtained a neighbour’s signature after they had asked him to deposit his bank drafts.

Natwarlal scammed hundreds of thousands of people out of their hard-earned money. As a result, he successfully escaped from incarceration and got away from law enforcement on several occasions after being arrested. He was quite fluent in communicating in English and was known for his charm and persuasive ability when talking to potential victims; almost everyone he spoke to fell for his smooth line. Moreover, he was able to deceive numerous high-profile entrepreneurs. It was even said that he reportedly sold both the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort to international visitors who had come to India.

Natwarlal perpetrated many frauds, including purportedly selling India’s Rashtrapati Bhavan, using forged signatures of the President. In 1937, Natwarlal was arrested for stealing 9 tons of iron. After being arrested for this initial offence, he subsequently switched his target to rob sex workers of money and jewellery and used drugged liquor (alcohol). Over time, Natwarlal discovered this method of taking money from victims was more dangerous than simply using counterfeiting and returned to committing con games.

Among the most extraordinary and unbelievable frauds perpetrated by Natwarlal was the sale of India’s most treasured and historic buildings. This seems far-fetched, but it is a fact that he sold the same iconic buildings several times to overseas buyers using a fictitious government identity: at least three times, he sold Agra’s Taj Mahal; at least twice he sold Delhi’s Red Fort; Once he sold the Rashtrapati Bhavan. On another occasion, he ‘sold’ the Parliament House. Natwarlal was an exceptional forger and is believed to have tricked many well-known Indian industrialists, from the Tatas and Birlas to even Dhirubhai Ambani, using forgeries to deceive them out of money.

In the historical context of Natwarlal, though considered a criminal, it is believed by some that he has become somewhat of a Robin Hood figure within his village; Bangra. He supposedly shared his stolen wealth with the poor and needy. His feats of defrauding wealthy individuals in a non-violent (and often humorous way) have become legendary in his home area.

Natwarlal was last arrested in 1996 when he was physically weak and confined to a wheelchair because of his advanced age (he was 84 years old at the time). As per media reports, he fled once more, an astounding feat given his fragile physical state. It was reported that Natwarlal was in police custody when he escaped while being transported from a Kanpur prison to AIIMS, Delhi, for medical treatment. He was never seen again. Natwarlal’s name surfaced for the last time in the year 2004, when Natwarlal’s lawyer claimed he was the executor of his will. There are claims that Natwarlal died in 2009, while his family says he died in 1996.