The Big Bull Harshad Mehta: Ek Aam Clerk Se India Ka Sabse Bada Scammer Banne Ki Kahani

 

Harshad Mehta Scam 1992: 'Share Bazar Ka Bachchan' Jisne Desh Ke Banking System Ko Hack Kar Liya!

Doston, aaj "Billionaire Dairies" par hum kisi aam businessman ki nahi, balki ek aise insaan ki kahani lekar aaye hain jisne 1990s ke daur mein poore desh ki neev hila di thi. Ek aam sa clerk, jiske paas apne sapne poore karne ki aukaat nahi thi, usne ek din aisa dimaag lagaya ki poore desh ka banking system uski mutthi mein aagaya. Hum baat kar rahe hain Harshad Mehta ki, jise log share bazar ka 'Big Bull' aur 'Amitabh Bachchan' kehte the. Aaiye jaante hain us 1992 ke bhayankar ghotale (scam) ka poora sach.

Chawl Se Shuruat Aur Bombay Ka Sapna

Harshad Mehta ka janm ek middle-class Gujarati parivaar mein hua tha. Shuruati padhai Raipur mein karne ke baad, paise kamane aur bada banne ka sapna aakhon mein lekar wo Bombay (aaj ka Mumbai) aa gaye. Shuruat mein unhone bohot si chhoti-moti naukriyan ki—kabhi LIC agent bane toh kabhi New India Assurance mein clerk ki naukri ki. Par Harshad ko jaldi samajh aa gaya tha ki 9 se 5 ki naukri karke wo kabhi apne mehenge sapne poore nahi kar payenge. Unhe woh jagah chahiye thi jahan paisa chhapta ho, aur wo jagah thi—Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

Share Market Mein Entry Aur 'Growmore' Ka Janm

1980s ke aakhir mein Harshad ne apne bhai Ashwin Mehta ke sath milkar stock market mein qadam rakha. Unhone 'Growmore Research and Asset Management' naam ki apni brokerage firm kholi. Harshad ka dimaag numbers aur market ki psychology samajhne mein itna tez tha ki wo jis share par hath rakhte, uski keemat aasman chhoone lagti. Dekhte hi dekhte, Harshad market ke sabse bade khiladi ban gaye. Log unhe 'Pied Piper of BSE' kehne lage the, kyunki Harshad jis company mein paisa lagate, aam janta bhi aankh band karke apna paisa wahin laga deti thi.

Bhaukaal: Lexus Gaadi Aur ₹1 Crore Ka Advance Tax

Harshad Mehta ki lifestyle aisi thi jo us daur mein bade-bade film stars ki bhi nahi thi. 1990s mein jab log Ambassador ya Fiat gaadiyan chalate the, tab Harshad ne apne liye ek imported Toyota Lexus LS400 kharidi thi. Us gaadi ko dekhne ke liye raste par bheed lag jaati thi. Unke Mumbai ke Worli ilake mein ek sath jude hue 15-15,000 square feet ke luxury flats the. Harshad ka jalwa itna tha ki unhone ek saal mein ₹26 Crore ka income tax aur ₹1 Crore ka advance tax bhara tha. Media aur magazines ki cover page par Harshad chha gaye the.

The Loophole: 4000 Crore Ka Scam Hua Kaise?

Ab sabse bada sawal—itna paisa aaya kahan se? Harshad koi jadugar nahi the, unhone ek bohot bada 'System Loophole' (khudai mein chhed) dhoondh liya tha.

Us daur mein, banks ko apna paisa kuch samay ke liye dusre banks ko udhaar dena hota tha, jise 'Ready Forward (RF) Deal' kehte the. Jab ek bank dusre bank se paise leta tha, toh guarantee ke taur par ek receipt deta tha, jise Bank Receipt (BR) kehte the. Harshad Mehta in deals mein ek 'Broker' (Bicholiya) ka kaam karte the.

Harshad ne kya kiya? Wo dono banks ke beech mein aate, ek bank se paise lete, par dusre bank ko turant nahi dete the. Us beech ke 15-20 dinon ke liye Harshad wo paisa dabe paon Share Market mein laga dete the. Aur toh aur, Harshad ne Bank of Karad aur Metropolitan Co-operative Bank ke sath milkar Fake Bank Receipts (Jaali BR) chhapna shuru kar diya. In jaali kagazon ko dikha kar unhone State Bank of India (SBI) jaise bade banks se hazaron crore rupaye nikaal liye aur market mein daal diye.

ACC Cement Ka Jadoo Aur Market Ka Bubble

Banks se nikale hue in hazaron crore rupayon ka Harshad ne kya kiya? Unhone chuninda companies ke shares ko pump karna shuru kiya. Sabse bada example tha ACC (Associated Cement Companies). Harshad ne iske shares itne kharide ki jo share sirf ₹200 ka tha, wo kuch hi mahinon mein ₹9000 ka ho gaya! Poore desh mein lalach ka mahol tha. Sabko lag raha tha ki market economy ke badhne ki wajah se upar ja raha hai, par asliyat mein yeh Harshad Mehta ka artificial pampa tha.

Bhanda-Phod: Sucheta Dalal Aur 23 April 1992

Ek na ek din yeh gubbara phatna hi tha. 23 April 1992 ko The Times of India ki khufiya patrakar (journalist) Sucheta Dalal ne ek article chhaapa. Unhone expose kiya ki SBI bank se achanak 500 Crore rupaye gayab ho gaye hain aur iske peeche Harshad Mehta ka hath hai.

Article aate hi poore desh mein hahakaar mach gaya. Banks ne turant Harshad se apne paise wapas maange. Par Harshad ke saare paise toh share market mein the. Market buri tarah crash ho gaya. ACC ka share seedha ₹9000 se zameen par aagaya. Laakhon aam investors, jinhone apni zindagi bhar ki gaadhi kamai lagayi thi, wo raaton-raat barbaad ho gaye. Pata chala ki yeh poora ghotala ₹4,000 Crore se bhi zyada ka tha (jo aaj ke samay mein laakhon crore ka hoga).

Anjaam Aur Seekh

Harshad Mehta par CBI ne 70 se zyada criminal cases darj kiye. Wo aur unke bhai Ashwin jail gaye. Harshad ka saara samrajya taash ke patton ki tarah bikhar gaya. 31 December 2001 ko Thane jail mein dil ka daura padne (Heart Attack) se 47 saal ki umar mein Harshad Mehta ka nidhan ho gaya.

Billionaire Diaries Conclusion: Harshad Mehta ki kahani humein ek bohot kadwa sach sikhati hai. Ambition (aage badhne ki chahat) aur Greed (lalach) mein bohot patli line hoti hai. Aap system ko ek baar, do baar chakma de sakte hain, par jab system palat kar vaar karta hai, toh achhe-achhon ki hस्ती mitti mein mil jati hai. Stock market mein 'Short-cut' hamesha barbaadi ka rasta dikhata hai.