Outlook English - Print Subscribers Copy Outlook English, 18 June 2018 | Page 57

Facebook posts reveal a lot about the
ies, during which she was told that the
man, too, had an earlier marriage ann­ person, argues Sachit Kumar, a sec­
ulled. The two decided to tie the knot. ond-generation detective, his father
Yet, the woman approached a detective having founded the Globe Detective
Agency in 1961. “The man’s nature,
to do a check on her fiancé’s finances.
“She only wanted to know about his character, history, how much of a show-
salary, but I sensed something fishy in off he is, whether or not he is introvert,
the story of his divorce he had told her,” one who likes the company of women or
says Gupta, sitting in his suitably ill-lit men, the clubs he visits, his affairs,
office at Satya Niketan. “The woman friend circle…you name it, we can figure
argued that she was convinced of his each out by a study of his FB profile,”
loyalty, but I insisted we went for a full says the middle-aged sleuth, an MBA
probe. Finally, she agreed,” he adds, a from University of Glasgow.
Kumar recounts a six-month-old case
hat perched on a coat rack next to him
and certificates of detective association wherein a family asked the sleuth to
inv­estigate the details of a man with
conferences tiling the wall behind.
Gupta hits a key on his computer and whom their daughter was in love. “We
the door to his chamber unlocks with a scanned his profile as well as that of his
buzz, letting in the office boy who serves friends. The man had told the spouse’s
water. Sipping it, the middle-aged man family that he didn’t smoke, but in at
recalls what led him to the profession in least five photographs he was seen with
a cigarette. Also, he had
1995: inspiration from
said he was just a social
Ved Prakash Sharma’s
drinker, but in every
detective novels in
The agency
other photo the man
Hindi. Gupta is now
nudges the
was seen with friends
dir­
ector of Secret
in a club, a glass of drink
Watch Detectives, one
subject through
with him,” says Kumar.
of the capital city’s
a fake profile,
To the detective, com­
500-odd
detective
ments on posts and
agencies that probe
and sees the
photos are more telling.
cases ranging from
matrimonial to corpo­
response. “Well, “If you see increased
online activity of a
rate matters.
no Sitas so far,”
woman on a man’s pro­
To crack the divor­
file, you know he is
cee’s case, a woman in
says a detective.
likely to be into a rela­
Gupta’s
detective’s
tionship,” he says, mat­
team sent the man a
friend request on FB, using a fictitious ter-of-factly. “Well, we have even
name. (The team keeps several such sensed a pattern to such increased
profiles for such purposes.) “Our mem­ activities by different women, where
ber posed as a ‘free-thinking’ woman almost each revealed the man had been
living away from parents and looking in several relationships,” says Kumar,
for ‘fun’,” says the detective. “In four whose father had initially forced him
days of chat, the man revealed he was into the profession, which he began
married and seeking fun outside it.” enj­oying subsequently.
Gupta’s agency gave the woman its rep­ “For instance,” recalls Kumar, “a sub­
ject of mine was seen to have posted on
ort along with recommendations.
It’s a routine exercise for such enter­ FB a photo of him with a girl. Below it
prises to approach the subject through read a comment, ‘Achchhi jodi hai’
the made-up profile of a woman or a (lovely pair). The subject acknowledged
man, and see how he or she responds to it with a ‘Thanks’. Obviously, he was
the advances. “Aap Ram dhoondoge toh having an open affair. This, when he was
Ram toh nahin milega (If you are going committed to my client’s daughter,” the
to look for Ram, you won’t find him). As detective says. “But then the client’s
it is, there are no Sitas (the lord’s wife),” daughter was madly in love with the boy.
Gupta chuckles. “Almost every subject She went ahead and married him.”
Matrimonial investigations are like a
reciprocates to some extent. Some are
desperate to meet and have sex. We flag game of bridge with a twist at every step,
them and advise our clients against Kumar adds. Social media has added a
“big good masala” to the business. O
taking the matter further.”
18 June 2018 OUTLOOK 57
Salad Khaye, Dessert Udaye.
Ulti Aadat Ko Kaho Bye Bye.
Apnao Seedhi Aadat
WITH
MIRROR GLASS DO O R F INISH
B OT TOM M O UNT E D R E F RIGE RATO R
India, ab
SEEDHE KI
AADAT
DAAL LO!
2017