The Man Who Sold the Taj Mahal: The Unbelievable True Story of Natwarlal
If you have seen Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can, you probably think Frank Abagnale was the smartest conman in history. But what if I told you that long before Hollywood made that movie, there was a man in India who made Abagnale look like a beginner?
This is the story of a man who didn’t just forge cheques; he sold the Taj Mahal—not once, but three times. He sold the Red Fort. He even sold the Parliament House of India along with the 545 MPs sitting inside it!
Meet Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava, better known to the world as Natwarlal. This is the “unkahi” (untold) story of India’s greatest thug, a man who proved that the most dangerous weapon isn’t a gun, but confidence.
From Lawyer to Legend: Who Was Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava?
Before he became the “Natwarlal” of police files, Mithilesh was a simple man born in 1912 in the Siwan district of Bihar. He wasn’t an uneducated criminal; he was actually a lawyer by profession.
But Mithilesh had a unique talent since childhood—he could copy any signature perfectly. While studying law, he realized something profound about human psychology: “People are greedy, and a man who wants easy money is the easiest to fool.”
He didn’t choose violence. He chose a pen, a stamp, and his unmatched “gift of the gab” (speaking skills).
The Art of the Sale: Selling India’s Monuments
The chapters of Natwarlal’s life read like a thriller novel. He targeted foreign tourists who came to India looking for “exotic” deals, and he played on their greed brilliantly.
1. Taj Mahal for Sale
Natwarlal would dress up as a high-ranking government official. He would create fake government documents, complete with official-looking seals and stamps. He would meet wealthy foreigners and whisper a secret to them: ” The Government of India is in a financial crisis and has decided to sell the Taj Mahal effectively immediately.”
It sounds impossible today, but back then, his confidence was so hypnotic that people believed him. He sold the Taj Mahal three times, signed the ‘Sale Deed’ on official stamp paper, took the advance cash, and vanished.
2. The Parliament Deal (The Masterstroke)
His most audacious con was selling the Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan).
He found a gullible foreign buyer and showed him the Parliament building. But the deal wasn’t just for the building. Natwarlal told the buyer, “The price includes the 545 people sitting inside. They will work for you as staff.”
He was referring to the Members of Parliament (MPs)! He actually managed to take money for the building and the politicians before disappearing into the crowd.
The Houdini of Indian Jails: You Can Catch Him, But You Can’t Keep Him
Natwarlal was arrested nine times. But for him, jail was just a temporary hotel. His escapes were legendary.
The Kanpur Jail Incident (1957)
In one famous incident in Kanpur, he managed to bribe a guard. But he didn’t just give him money; he charmed the guard so much that the guard actually carried Natwarlal’s suitcase out of the jail, hailed a taxi for him, and waved goodbye.
When the guard later opened the suitcase—which he thought was full of money promised by Natwarlal—he found nothing but old newspapers and bricks. Natwarlal had scammed the man who was supposed to keep him locked up.
The Final Vanishing Act: A Mystery Till Date
The climax of Natwarlal’s life is more mysterious than any Bollywood movie script.
In 1996, Natwarlal was 84 years old. He was frail, using a wheelchair, and was being transported from Kanpur Jail to AIIMS hospital in New Delhi for treatment. Police constables were escorting him.
They reached the New Delhi Railway Station. It was crowded. In the blink of an eye, the 84-year-old man on the wheelchair vanished. The police found only an empty wheelchair. Despite a massive manhunt, the “old man” was never seen again.
Is He Dead or Alive?
In 2009, Natwarlal’s lawyer requested the court to drop more than 100 pending cases against him, claiming Natwarlal had died on July 25, 2009. However, Natwarlal’s own brother claimed that he had cremated Mithilesh way back in 1996 (shortly after he escaped).
So, where was he between 1996 and 2009? Was he hiding in plain sight? Did he fake his death twice? Even in death, Natwarlal managed to con the system one last time.
Conclusion: The Robin Hood of Bihar?
Despite his crimes, the people of his native village in Bihar never saw him as a villain. To them, he was a Robin Hood. Legend says he often used the money he looted from rich foreigners and the government to hold grand feasts for the poor in his village.
Natwarlal’s story teaches us a strange lesson: If you speak with enough authority and wear a nice suit, you can sell the world. He remains, undisputed, the man who sold India.
SEO Optimization & Metadata
Meta Title:
The Man Who Sold The Taj Mahal: Real Story of Natwarlal (India’s Biggest Conman)
Meta Description:
Meet Natwarlal, the Indian conman who sold the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, and Parliament House. Discover the true story of Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava and his legendary jail escapes.
Target Keywords:
Natwarlal story, Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava, Indian conman who sold Taj Mahal, Natwarlal biography, India’s biggest thug, Natwarlal parliament house sold.
Categories:
True Crime, Indian History, Biographies, Mystery.
Tags:
Natwarlal, Conman, Taj Mahal, Indian History, Crime Story, Bihar, Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava, Thug Life, Unsolved Mysteries.
Visual Content Strategy
Ai Image Prompt:
A vintage, cinematic style illustration from the 1970s. A charismatic Indian man in his 40s, dressed in a sharp lawyer’s suit and glasses, standing confidently in front of the Taj Mahal. He is holding a pen and an official-looking stamped document, offering it to the viewer with a cunning smile. The lighting is warm and nostalgic. In the background, a faint, hazy outline of the Indian Parliament. Realistic, high detail, dramatic shadows.
Image Name:
Natwarlal-Indian-Conman-Taj-Mahal.jpg
Image Permalink:
/natwarlal-man-who-sold-taj-mahal-story
Image Alt Text Description:
Illustration of Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava alias Natwarlal holding a fake sale deed in front of the Taj Mahal.
Image Description:
A digital artistic representation of the famous Indian conman Natwarlal, depicted signing a contract to ‘sell’ the Taj Mahal. The image captures his confident persona and lawyer background.
Image Short Caption:
Natwarlal: The genius conman who sold the Taj Mahal three times.
