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They become ghosts in an alien land in the dark, labyrinthine world of espionage, living on the edge to serve their country as unsung heroes
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One such superspy and RAW operative was Ravindra Kaushik, who became a legend, known as the “Black Tiger”
Spies are a breed apart indeed. Persons engaged In this never-spoken-about, “cloak-and-dagger” enterprise, always live within a hairs breadth of danger, death deception and discovery, balanced on the razor edge of two separate identities – one their own and the other they assume as an undercover agent.
If they are successful in their intelligence gathering operations, they become unsung heroes, but if they fail, they are disowned by their own country and suffer torture, execution and oblivion in an alien land.
And yet the thrill of adventure and the challenges of living on the edge has never failed to attract brilliant and dynamic young men and women into the ghost world of espionage.
Their untold tales are legion as they continue to serve the nation, to ensure the safety of its citizens from the evil designs of adversary nations.
One of India’s most brilliant superspies was Ravindra Kaushik, working as a RAW operative in Pakistan, codenamed ‘Black Tiger’.
How India’s ‘Black Tiger’ infiltrated Pak Army
After months of rigorous preparations, Kaushik was deployed in Pakistan with a new identity as Nabi Ahmed Shakir. His training included a thorough knowledge of Islamic theology as well as the basic tenets of the religion. To make everything appear 100 per cent genuine, Kaushik was also circumcised.
A big plus point that worked in Kaushiks favour was his natural flair and gift for acting, a significant asset as he launched himself into the biggest role of his life
One of India’s most brilliant superspies was Ravindra Kaushik, working as a RAW operative in Pakistan, codenamed ‘Black Tiger’.
Once in Pakistan, Kaushik enrolled in Karachi University, to make everything look foolproof and legitimate.
After graduating from there, he joined Pakistan Army. It didn’t take him very long to gain the trust of his colleagues and senior officers.
He even secured many promotions as a Pakistan army officer. Eventually he even married a Pakistani woman and had a child with her.
However, despite all thiis, Kaushik’s commitment and duty towards his country remained steadfast, and he kept up a regular flow of critical intelligence inputs back to India.
What led to Kaushik’s capture and execution
However, a long pause after years and years of steady flow of information to India, led RAW in 1983 to presume that something had gone wrong and that his cover had been compromised.
To get first-hand information about Kaushik’s status, another undercover agent was sent across to contact Kaushiik.
The second operative’s inexperience proved to be his undoing and ultimately disastrous for Kaushik. The agent was captured and tortured by Pakistani Intelligence. His ultimate confession finally and tragically blew the cover of the “Black Tiger” and his operations.
Kaushik, whose undercover activities had earned him a legendary status in his own country, was arrested, court-martialed, and sentenced to death in Pakistan.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pravasi Samwad. Pravasi Samwad is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.
