Natwarlal: India’s Most Daring Conman and Mastermind of Deception
Natwarlal is a name that resonates in India not just for criminal exploits, but for audacity, ingenuity, and the legend of a man who repeatedly outwitted authorities in a country often unprepared for his cleverness. Born Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava in 1912 in Bihar, Natwarlal became one of India’s most infamous conmen. His life is a story of cunning, strategy, and unparalleled audacity that continues to intrigue historians, criminologists, and the general public alike.
Early Life and Background
Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava was born in the small town of Bihar in 1912. His early life was relatively modest, and he received a basic education. From childhood, he showed traits of intelligence and cunning, often finding clever ways to get what he wanted. There are conflicting accounts of his early years; some say he was a petty thief during his teenage years, while others claim he began small-scale cons on local businessmen.
What set Natwarlal apart was not just his inclination for crime, but his flair for theatrics and planning. Unlike ordinary criminals, he relied on psychology, deception, and detailed research before executing his schemes. This made him both successful and elusive for decades.
Rise to Infamy
Natwarlal’s quickly became notorious for his audacious schemes, particularly in conning prominent businessmen and even banks. He had a unique specialty: selling India’s iconic monuments. Natwarlal reportedly “sold” the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Rashtrapati Bhavan, and other national landmarks multiple times to unsuspecting buyers, often charging substantial amounts before disappearing without a trace.
His targets were not ordinary people but wealthy businessmen, political figures, and even industrialists, making his scams both high-profile and high-stakes. Natwarlal’s confidence and charisma helped him gain trust quickly, and he exploited bureaucratic loopholes and human greed with remarkable efficiency.
Modus Operandi
Natwarlal was meticulous in planning his cons. He often studied his victims in advance, understanding their weaknesses, fears, and ambitions. For example, in his famous Taj Mahal scam, he posed as a government official authorized to sell the monument. Armed with forged documents and convincing arguments, he persuaded buyers to hand over large sums of money. By the time the victims realized they were duped, Natwarlal was long gone.
He also had an ability to reinvent himself, adopting multiple aliases and disguises to stay ahead of the law. Natwarlal used fake passports, false identification, and elaborate storytelling to create credibility. His operations were not impulsive; they were calculated, sometimes taking weeks or months to orchestrate.
Notable Heists and Scams
Among Natwarlal’s most legendary exploits were his repeated “sales” of the Taj Mahal. He reportedly sold the monument multiple times, each time convincing buyers of his authenticity. Similarly, he sold Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Red Fort to unsuspecting businessmen. He is said to have also “sold” the Parliament House and the India Gate.
Apart from selling monuments, Natwarlal was involved in other cons such as forging government documents, counterfeiting, and defrauding wealthy industrialists. He reportedly defrauded large sums of money, equivalent to millions of rupees in today’s terms.
Encounters with Law Enforcement
Natwarlal’s life was marked by repeated arrests and jail terms. However, he became famous for his daring escapes. Authorities found it nearly impossible to keep him behind bars. In one remarkable instance, he escaped from Howrah Jail in Kolkata using a wooden gun he had carved himself. His ability to slip away from high-security prisons only added to his legend.
Despite numerous arrests and convictions, Natwarlal seemed to have a knack for evading long-term imprisonment. His escapes became as famous as his scams, reinforcing his image as the quintessential trickster.
Public Fascination and Media Attention
The Indian public was captivated by Natwarlal’s exploits. Newspapers and magazines frequently covered his cons and escapes, often portraying him as a Robin Hood-like figure, although there is little evidence he redistributed wealth to the poor. Nonetheless, his audacity and cleverness made him a folk hero of sorts. Stories of his scams became urban legends, shared widely across India.
Films, television shows, and books have drawn inspiration from his life. Natwarlal’s persona as a charming, intelligent, and fearless conman has remained embedded in popular culture. He represents not only criminal ingenuity but also the fascination with those who challenge authority and the system.
Later Life and Death
Natwarlal’s later life remains shrouded in mystery. Some reports suggest he retired from active conning in the 1980s, while others claim he continued small-scale cons until the late 1990s. He reportedly died in 1996, though some believe he may have assumed a new identity and lived incognito. The ambiguity surrounding his death only fuels the legend.
Legacy and Lessons
Natwarlal’s life serves as a case study in audacity, intelligence, and the psychology of deception. While his actions were illegal and morally questionable, they highlight the human tendencies of greed, gullibility, and overconfidence. Law enforcement agencies in India have studied his methods to understand criminal behavior, particularly white-collar crimes.
Natwarlal’s story also provides a window into India’s mid-20th-century society, where bureaucratic inefficiency, lack of verification, and social trust created opportunities for such scams. In many ways, his exploits reflect both personal brilliance and systemic vulnerabilities.
FAQs on Natwarlal
Q1. Who was Natwarlal?
Natwarlal, born Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava in 1912 in Bihar, was India’s most famous conman. He became legendary for selling national monuments like the Taj Mahal and Rashtrapati Bhavan multiple times to unsuspecting businessmen using forged documents and impeccable charm.
Q2. Why was he called Natwarlal?
The name “Natwarlal” became synonymous with his criminal persona. It is said he adopted the name while building his false identities. Over time, “Natwarlal” became a household term in India for anyone who tricks or cheats with cleverness.
Q3. What made Natwarlal different from other criminals?
Unlike ordinary criminals who used brute force, Natwarlal relied on intellect, forgery, and psychological manipulation. He meticulously studied his targets, forged convincing documents, and executed his scams with theatrical confidence.
Q4. How did Natwarlal manage to sell the Taj Mahal?
Natwarlal posed as a government official authorized to auction or lease heritage sites. With forged signatures, stamps, and official-looking documents, he convinced wealthy businessmen that they were buying rights to the Taj Mahal. Reports suggest he sold it more than once, walking away with huge sums each time.
Q5. What other monuments did Natwarlal sell?
Besides the Taj Mahal, Natwarlal reportedly sold the Red Fort, Rashtrapati Bhavan, and even the Parliament House of India. Each con was carried out with forged paperwork and carefully rehearsed persuasion.
Q6. Did Natwarlal only target monuments?
No. He also conned wealthy industrialists, political leaders, and bankers. His scams ranged from fake government contracts to counterfeit cheques. He was a master at exploiting the weaknesses of the rich and powerful.
Q7. How many times was Natwarlal arrested?
He was arrested multiple times—some reports say over nine times across different states. However, his knack for escaping custody made him as infamous for jailbreaks as for scams.
Q8. How did Natwarlal escape from prison?
One of his most famous escapes was from Howrah Jail, where he carved a gun out of wood, painted it black, and used it to threaten guards. He walked out of prison in broad daylight, leaving the authorities embarrassed.
Q9. Was Natwarlal violent?
Despite being a career criminal, Natwarlal was not known for violence. His crimes were based on deception, forgery, and manipulation rather than physical harm. This aspect made him appear more like a trickster than a gangster.
Q10. Did Natwarlal ever give money to the poor like Robin Hood?
There is no concrete evidence that Natwarlal redistributed wealth to the poor. However, public imagination and folklore often portray him as a Robin Hood-like figure because he mainly targeted the rich, banks, and corrupt officials.
Q11. How much money did Natwarlal con in his lifetime?
Exact figures are hard to verify, but estimates suggest he swindled hundreds of millions of rupees (in today’s value). His cons were often in lakhs and crores, especially during the 1960s–1980s when such amounts were astronomical.
Q12. Was Natwarlal ever sentenced to life imprisonment?
He was sentenced to multiple jail terms in different states. Some sentences amounted to nearly a century when combined. But he never served them fully because of his repeated escapes.
Q13. How did Natwarlal forge documents so convincingly?
Natwarlal was highly skilled in handwriting, signatures, and seals. He studied government paperwork closely and reproduced them with precision, making his documents look authentic. This skill was the backbone of his scams.
Q14. How did he die?
Natwarlal reportedly died in 1996 at the age of 84. However, his death remains a mystery. Some family members and police records conflict, suggesting he may have assumed another identity and disappeared.
Q15. Why is Natwarlal remembered even today?
Natwarlal is remembered because his story blends crime with extraordinary wit. His daring scams, fearless attitude, and jailbreaks make him a folk legend. Even decades later, people use the term “Natwarlal” in India to describe anyone who is cunningly deceptive.
Q16. Is there any film or book on Natwarlal?
Yes. His life inspired films such as Mr. Natwarlal (1979) starring Amitabh Bachchan, though the film took creative liberties. Several books and articles also document his exploits, making him a pop-culture figure.
Q17. What lessons can be learned from Natwarlal’s life?
Natwarlal’s life is a cautionary tale. It teaches that intelligence without ethics can lead to infamy. His story also highlights systemic flaws in governance and law enforcement of his time, which allowed such scams to flourish.
Q18. Did Natwarlal ever regret his actions?
There is no direct evidence of remorse from Natwarlal. Accounts suggest he enjoyed outsmarting the system and took pride in his cunning. Some say he justified his actions by claiming he only cheated the corrupt or greedy.
Q19. How is his name used in modern India?
In modern India, the term “Natwarlal” has entered colloquial speech to describe a clever fraudster or trickster. It is often used humorously in conversations, proving the cultural impact of his legend.
Q20. What is Natwarlal’s place in Indian history?
While not a freedom fighter or political leader, Natwarlal occupies a unique space in India’s social history as the most daring conman. He represents both the brilliance of human ingenuity and the perils of unchecked deception.
Conclusion
Natwarlal remains one of India’s most legendary conmen. His life is a mixture of fact, myth, and folklore, but the essence of his story is clear: a man of extraordinary cunning who repeatedly outsmarted the law and captivated the public imagination. While his actions were criminal, his ingenuity, daring, and audacity continue to fascinate generations, making him an enduring figure in India’s criminal folklore.
Natwarlal’s legacy serves as a reminder of the power of intelligence and strategy, the dangers of greed and gullibility, and the enduring human fascination with figures who live on the edge of society, bending rules and challenging norms.
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