Confessions of a Lady Detective

My sources are servants, cooks, peons, neighbours and drivers. It’s easiest to worm information out of them

Though I also investigate corporate and bank fraud, my specialty is marital verification. It’s unbelievable how many cases of matrimonial fraud take place these days. People meet over the Internet and lie about their past and backgrounds. A lot of NRIs come to India to find a bride and abandon her once they go back. I recently solved a case in which the girl doubted the groom’s claims about his smoking habits. I found out that not only was he a chain smoker, but he was also having an affair with the maid.

My sources are essentially servants, cooks, peons, neighbours and drivers. It’s easiest to worm information out of them. I love disguising myself on assignment. In the case I mentioned, I was undercover when I chatted up the maid, telling her I wanted to open a business in the area. After days of getting friendly with her, she confessed she was having an affair with the groom-to-be. I usually like to wear all black when incognito and a plain sari or salwar kameez when interacting with the servants. Today, detectives follow their targets around for weeks, using different disguises while recording their actions. Technology plays an integral role: I usually use six cellphones, three spy cameras and five voice recorders.

Revealing bad news is the hardest part of my job. The worst is when I have to do it to a young girl, who might be dreaming of a rosy life ahead with her Prince Charming. Sometimes, girls are so shocked that they need therapy. Sometimes one finds women cheating as well. I once trailed a bride-to-be who travelled out of Delhi with a strange man. She continued to chat with her fiancé over the phone as she shared a posh hotel room with her friend.

The job can be dangerous, even life threatening. Once, I rescued a 13-year-old girl kidnapped by flesh traders. They were just about to sell her to a client when I cracked the case with the help of Delhi Police. Everything would be over if I were even a second late.

I never hired a detective when I got married. This was before I joined a detective agency—partly because I trusted him a lot and partly because back then I didn’t know about such services.

This detective has been in the business for over a decade and now owns her own agency in West Delhi

About The Author

Avantika Bhuyan