New Delhi: Characters such as Sherlock Holmes and James Bond are a part of every teenager's fantasy, but their real life, Indian cousins are gradually gaining popularity with exploits no less thrilling than their celluloid counterparts.
While an Indian detective was recently honoured with the 'Investigator of the year 2006' award by the World Association of Detectives (WAD), most multi-national companies setting shop in India today employ private detectives to collect information about the people they hire.
"The job of a private detective is gradually gaining the reliability and the respectability it deserves in India. Rather than working for suspicious husbands and fathers only, we are now into corporate intelligence gathering, catching counterfeit materials," says Kunwar Vikram Singh who bagged the 'Investigator of the year 2006' by unearthing an international bank fraud case.
Indian detectives also feel that their expertise can be utilised by the government in collecting information about the terror networks operating in the country.
"We have the expertise and the capability to help the government agencies in cracking terrorist links in India. We would definitely want to serve the nation," says R K Sinha, a private detective.
"Our main advantage is that, it is difficult to recognise us. Moreover we work away from the glare of the media," adds Kunwar Vikram Singh. More
But they also feel that the government investigating agencies do not have enough faith in the private investigators, which is stopping them from seeking their help.
"There seems to be a sort of 'mental block' which is stopping the government from approaching us. Hope we will work together soon," says Sinha.
"A bill which will regulate and recognise the activities of private investigators is coming in the next session of parliament. We will surely have better co-ordination with the government once the bill is passed, " adds Captain Ravee, Secretary General of the Association of Private Detectives in
India (APDI).
While there are approximately 500 private detectives operating in India right now, plans are afoot to start short-term courses for private detectives to enable more youths to join the profession.
"APDI, which the association of Indian detectives is planning to come up with courses for private detectives. Universities abroad even have degree courses, we can certainly take a cue from them," says Ravee.
As far as the glamour and thrill element, that is often associated with the profession, these detectives say, that their work is very different from the way it is portrayed in fiction and films.
"I wish the profession was so glamorous in reality. It is actually quite the opposite," says Kunwar Singh, who is also the Director General of APDI.
Comments
0 comment