What do they do?
What’s common between Sherlock Holmes, Karamchand Jasoos, and Byomkesh Bakshi? These are the fictional characters that have over the years endeared themselves to their fans with their brilliant detective work. In the course of their adventures they have also managed to inspire many youngsters to take up detective work to experience a life of excitement and adventure.
Over the years, things have changed for real-life detectives who have moved from wielding the magnifying glass to relying on sophisticated spying devices.
The profession pays well if one has the talent to solve cases with élan. Here’s an example.
Circa 1958: A young boy came from Pakistan as a refugee, started doing detective work after trying his hand “at almost 22 other professions (including that of a rag picker)”. Meet Ramesh C Madan, who is known as the father of private investigation in India. He started out in an era when detectives had to learn from “the institution of circumstances”, as Madan calls it. Since then, he says, a lot has changed but the basics of detective work remain the same. “As long as human beings are insecure about one thing or the other, detectives will never go out of business,” says Madan.
When he started out, no one “knew about private detectives. Once I went to give an advertisement about my services to a well-known newspaper and they refused to take my ad and then suggested that I should put the ad in the ‘tantrik’ (practitioner of black magic) section. Then in the ‘70s, I met the director general of police, Uttar Pradesh for a case and was surprised when he asked me what a private detective did. Awareness levels have changed much since those days,” says Madan.
Persistence and hard work culminated in Madan getting a lifetime achievement award for investigation and intelligence last year from President Pratibha Patil. “I have got many awards. I believe that if you work with honesty and support the truth then recognitions will come to you,” says Madan.
From the hardships of procuring hi-tech spying gadgets to facing threats from miffed people, being a detective some years back was a challenging proposition.
It is still challenging even with the availability of advanced technology, investigative work has simplified to some extent.
Circa 1988: The job profile hasn’t changed but detectives have started to adding credibility by earning degrees that will help them in their work. VC Misra, after practicing law for some time, found that was not his calling and got a degree in forensic science from the Delhi University. His specialisation in handwriting and fingerprint identification made his job easier. “Now even lawyers take our help to get to the facts,” says Misra. “Opportunities for work have increased in this area, and investigators are taking on work previously done by the police. However, competition has increased manifold. To get work, you should have good contacts, be in touch with the lawyers, and also have a website to showcase your work,” says Misra.
Circa 2010: Degrees (law, forensics etc.) coupled with the knowledge of advanced technology is now intrinsic to a detective’s life. Rishi Madan is a young 19-year-old armed with knowledge of the latest technology and an ambition to become one of “the best detectives”.
“You have to have an inquisitive mind to be a good detective. It is important to gain knowledge of each and every thing about investigative work, be it law, psychology, sociology, topography, weapons, chemistry, geology, philosophy, anatomy, etc. Though you might not be the master of all these subjects, their knowledge will help you to look at cases from a different perspective,” says Rishi.
The job is tough because sometimes you have to spend days following a person. “You have to change your appearance and your vehicle etc., to make sure that your quarry does not get suspicious. The cases differ because anyone who can pay the fees uses the services of a detective. As crime and insecurity increase, opportunities for people in this profession are also increasing,” says Rishi. “You could find work as an employee of an investigation agency or buy a franchise, which may combine the advantage of working alone with the benefits and contacts associated with being part of a large organisation. Alternatively, you could set up on your own (agency). Your success will not only depend on your investigative skills, knowledge and experience, but also on your ability to market your services,” says Madan.
Whatever the era, the profession retains its charm and the ones who yearn for an adventurous life should join it with the aim of going whole hog for the truth. As Madan sums it up, one should be ready for anything from gaalis to golis (abuses to bullets).
