He singlehandedly pulled off India’s greatest hoax. The Mamsapuram, Tamil Nadu, resident claimed in September ’96 that he’d produced petrol from herbs using a "secret formula". Pillai took scientists for a ride, and cooked up stories about life threats. Politicians serenaded this one-man-oil reserve. Till he was caught adulterating a herbal concoction with petrol! The ‘swadeshi herbalist’ went into oblivion and was recently re-discovered there by the RSS.
