India's Invisible Sleuths: Inside the World of Women Private Detectives

India has more than a handful of women private detectives who handle cases of infidelity and do pre-marital checks.

Kavitha, 24, has been working as a domestic help in a Pune household for a week now. She does 'top work' – which in local parlance means jhadu, pocha, and bartan – giving her access to the important corners of the house.

Access is important for Kavitha. For she isn't really a domestic worker, but an undercover private detective, gathering information about the family – before her client's daughter gets married into the household.

"I will stay here for one more week. My primary job is to just observe, see how their relationship with their son is, what do the mother and father talk about my clients, and get information about the family in general. It is like character assessment. For now, I see nothing suspicious with these people," she says with a chuckle.

In her latest release Neeyat, Vidya Balan essays the role of a CBI detective Mira Rao who investigates the death of a billionaire. While male private detectives have been a part of the pop culture in India, in the form of Byomkesh Bakshy, Feluda, and Sethurama Iyer (Mammootty from the CBI movie series), there has been no such representation of women sleuths.

But on ground, there are more than a handful of women private detectives, operating across cities, like Kavitha. They handle cases of suspected infidelity, money fraud, conduct surveillance on family members, do pre-marital investigation, among others.

How to Become a Private Detective?

"My friend suggested my name to my current boss, because I always know all that is happening with all my friends. I always have all the gossip. But it is not as easy, you really need to train to be cautious," Kavitha tells The Quint.

"There is no specific qualification required to become a private detective. You just have to have the knack for it. Anyone who knows their way to get the information, and most importantly, can be discreet about it, can become a private detective. However, for those who are serious about it, I recommend a diploma course in forensic sciences and handwriting analysis," says Dimple (name changed), who has been working in a top private detective agency in Delhi for over a decade now.

She remembers her first case like it was yesterday – to follow a man and report about his whereabouts to his wife.

"This man lied to her about having a job and got married to her. While she earned, and took care of his parents, he was going around with another woman. She became suspicious three months after marriage," Dimple recalls how she followed him for a week, and then met his wife, where she provided her evidence. The couple got a divorce a year later.

Since then Dimple has handled at least 20 cases every year. She charges Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 for a day's worth work, and each case takes 5-10 days to wrap up.

The Perks Of Being a Woman Detective (Or Not)

There are some unwritten rules. These women detectives are not on social media, they almost never use their real names anywhere, and most importantly – never dress up in a way that draws attention to them. They also assume a new identity every week or every two weeks, while they are on the job.

"I add my own twist to my character, but don't forget, there's actually a job at hand. It is not just role-playing. Most of the marriage, or family-related cases, are easier for the women to crack. People trust us better, and also open up to us more quickly."

Kavitha

"Most women want to leave an impression. They want to be remembered. But not us. We don't want anyone to pay attention to us, or even recall my face from before. I could be anyone, the person who comes to your house for a survey, someone who is sitting next to you on a train. The last time I wore makeup was at my wedding, and that was 12 years ago," Dimple explains.

While there are more than a handful of them in business, there are also not enough of them – and the profession remains largely male dominated.

"This is not a career choice that women immediately think about. There are not many jobs, but even if there are, the family doesn't allow you. There are women who are really good at this, and then they vanish because they have to get married. Also, if you do stick on, there is no real growth. You have to start your own agency, and then go on from there," says Delhi-based private detective Reshma (name changed).

The Limitations Of Operation

While Reshma too handles cases of pre-marital investigations and infidelity suspicions, of late, there are requests from parents to surveille their children.

"These are usually children from upper middle class or richer families. The parents are particularly concerned about the kind of company their children keep, where do they go if they are found to be constantly skipping school, are they engaged in activities that could spoil their future," Reshma explains.

So how does she do this? Without revealing specifics, she says,

"For example, I wait outside their school or discreetly near the house, and follow the kid around. Sometimes, we even embed ourselves as a customer if a child is seen frequenting at a particular place, or if there is a dealer involved, I assume an identity and approach them. I have three two-wheelers, and I keep changing them. If we find anything suspicious, or if the child is in danger, then we call the parents immediately," Reshma explains, adding that most of these cases require meticulous planning, and a cover story, in case they get caught.

The Limitations Of Operation

Now the get-caught part is important because private investigation isn’t a licensed profession in India, and over the last few years, there has been increased scrutiny over people who are engaged in it.

The Private Detective Agencies (Regulation) Bill was introduced in 2007, and has been with the parliamentary committee since then.

The private detectives – both men and women – are putting their life at risk over their investigations. So again, there are some rules that are unspoken but strictly followed.

"We never ever take up cases where the police is already involved, or if there is an FIR that has been filed. This is unnecessary risk for us. So most of the cases that are assigned to women are family oriented. I do not know of any murder case that has been handled by private detectives. Petty thievery, yes. Also, when family steals from family. But nothing high-profile or major," explains Dimple.

"We also do not take cases where we are asked to photograph people in their private places. That again could really get us in trouble, and it is also not morally right," she adds.

So why is it that they do what they do?

"There is rush, thrill, and in the end, you also feel that you are doing something useful to help an honest person, and most often than not, they are fellow women like us," Reshma says.