Conman Dies Twice. Or Maybe Not.

TO DIE OR NOT TO DIE

One of India’s (maybe even the world’s) greatest con artists is finally dead.

Or Maybe Not.

Known simply as Natwarlal, he duped many people in cons both Small, Big and SPECTACULAR.

He once actually “sold” the Taj Mahal to gullible foreigners much before Abhi & Rani became Bunty & Babli. He went on to dupe hundreds of people of crores of rupees, inspired millions of grandma’s tales and even a movie starring Amitabh Bachchan (the movie was Mr. Natwarlal ofcourse).

Amitabh and Shah Rukh both played the title character in ‘DON’ and got to mouth the famous dialogue “ Don Ka Peecha Toh Barah Mulko Ki Police Kar Raha Hai Magar Don Ko Pakarna Mushkil Hi Nahi Namumkin Hai.” (Don Is Wanted By The Police In 12 Countries But To Capture Don Is Not Just Difficult Its Impossible).

However in real life it was Natwarlal who outwitted the police in 8 indian states and now even in death, Natwarlal, 97, is actually living up to his legend.

In a move that even Don would not have thought of, Natwarlal has “died” twice, 13 years apart.

Here’s how.
Last Tuesday his lawyer filed an application before a magistrate in Kanpur (UP), calling for the dismissal of 100 cases pending against Natwarlal claiming that “he died on Saturday, July 25, 2009”.

But Natwarlal’s brother, Ganga Prasad Srivastava, 85, told India’s Hindustan Times: “He died in 1996. I personally cremated him in Ranchi but don’t remember the exact date.”

What is the truth? The police in UP and Bihar have no clue.

Without a trace of shame or culpability, the Superintendent of Kanpur District Jail, where Natwaralal was serving time said “The last we saw of him was on June 24, 1996.”

He vanished from custody that day at the New Delhi Railway station when he was being taken on a wheelchair from Kanpur to New Delhi’s AIIMS hospital for treatment. He was 84 then.

The conman, born Mithilesh Kumar Srivastava, used more than 50 aliases, was a master of disguises and had “sold” the Taj Mahal thrice, the Red Fort twice and even the Rashtrapati Bhavan once to gullible foreigners.

Anyway Dead or Alive, his legend lives on.

In North India, conmen who pull off particularly smart frauds are simply called Natwarlal.

P.S. Personally as for as the fraudulent selling of the Taj etc go I blame the foreigners completely. If you are soooooooooooooo stupid then you probably don’t deserve to have all that money anyway.

What Say?

Till next time.

Luv

Vish