- R.N Kao was the Kashmiri pandit who had immigrated from Srinagar to Varanasi in U.P
- He was in 1940 batch of Indian Imperial Police (currently IPS). On the eve of Independence day, he was deputed to newly formed Intelligence Bureau.
- During the Queen’s first visit to independent India in the early 1950s, Kao was assigned to head her security detail. At a reception in Bombay, Kao dived and caught a bouquet he saw being flung at the Queen from the corner of his eye, fearing it might be a bomb. In good humour, the Queen drolly remarked “Good Cricket”.
- After the defeat in Sino-Indian war in 1962, R&AW was formed and Kao was made its first cheif.
- The RAW operatives at that time was called the Kaoboys for their disciplines.
- RAW under the leadership of Kao played massive role in liberation of Bangladesh.
- Today we know how well the relationship is b/w RAW and Israeli Mossad, but Kao is the man behind this success!
- Kao left RAW for the blunder commited by then PM Moraji Desai by leaking details about RAW agents penetrating into Pak which eventually resulted in their death. Saddened by this Kao left RAW and never returned!
- Kao returned in the intelligence circuit as the security advisor to the Indira Gandhi’s government after the Indian PM returned to power.
- He founded the National Security Guards as he sensed a need for a special force unit.
- R.N. Kao retired in 1989. He lived a very private life post retirement, it was so private that he was only photographed twice after that. Yes only Twice!
- Count Alexandre de Marenches, erstwhile head of the French external intelligence agency, named Kao as one of the five great intelligence chiefs of the 1970’s
- R N Kao passed away in 2002, robbing the country of one whose contribution to building the nation a safe and secure India is immeasurable and yet little known by most Indians.