Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava, better known as Natwarlal (1912-1996/2009), was a noted Indian con man known for having repeatedly "sold" the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, and the Rashtrapati Bhavan and also the Parliament House of India along with its 545 sitting members. He was a living-legend in his lifetime and a legend even after his death. He was born in Bangra village in Siwan district of Bihar, by profession he was a lawyer before he turned into a conman.
He was wanted in over a 100 cases in eight States. He had been sentenced to a whopping 113 years in jail by various courts and had made eight daring escapes, each time from a different jail.
He was a master of disguise who used more than 50 names to commit crimes. He once walked out of Kanpur jail dressed as a Sub-Inspector (in a smuggled uniform). He handed out an attaché case of money to the guards, hailed a taxi and drove away.
He used to pose as a Government official and dupe foreign tourists by selling them famous Indian monuments. He forged President Rajendra Prasad's signature and sold the Taj Mahal thrice, and the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the Lal Qila twice !!
Interestingly, at the age of 84, he was on a wheelchair, old, ill and so disabled that the police were taking him to the AIIMS Hospital for treatment. On the way to the Hospital, at the New Delhi Railway Station, he slipped from right under the Policemen's nose. This was the last time he was seen, June 24, 1996.
Today, his legend lives on and con-men of such shrewd, fraudulent ways are called 'X' with honour. Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava's life formed the basis of a famous Hindi film, also called 'X'.
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